Orion
by dracox-serdriel
Summary: Stranded on Earth-2, Caitlin fights for her survival against Zoom, the seemingly unstoppable meta-human who has fallen in love with her. Set immediately after the events in 02x18 Versus Zoom, Orion includes flashbacks to missing scenes during canon episodes of the season when SnowJay was developing.
1. The Winter Maker

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating. This version of _Orion_ has been adapted to fit the restricted ratings requirements. The original version is rated at NC-17/MA, which remains available on AO3 (username dracox_serdriel) as well as LiveJournal and Tumblr (username dracox-serdriel).

 **Chapter Summary** : After obtaining The Flash's speed, Zoom abducts Earth-1 Caitlin Snow and takes her to Earth-2. In the past, Caitlin and Jay spend Christmas together.

* * *

 **Chapter One**  
 **The Winter Maker  
**

* * *

Caitlin was in shock, but she remained aware enough to know that she was moving at a rapid pace and not of her own accord. She closed her eyes as the whirling images became disorienting. Despite her confused senses, she felt a distinct change that eluded description.

 _A breach. We must be passing through a breach._

As the thought occurred to her, her fear redoubled. Jay - no, Zoom - was carrying her to Earth-2, and she had no idea what he could possibly want from her.

Then everything stopped. It was so dark that it took her a moment to realize that she was standing on solid ground.

"I _do_ care about you."

It was whispered in her ear in the voice of Jay Garrick, the man who had stolen her heart, but the flashes of blue lightning reminded her that Zoom was the only other person present.

"Where did you take me?" she asked.

"Somewhere you'll be safe," he replied. "Rest, Cait."

She raised her hands, ready to defend herself, but she wavered, suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion.

 _He must've sedated me._

That was her last thought before the darkness took her.

* * *

Jay caught Caitlin as she fell, the drugs kicking in at full force and literally knocking her off her feet. He made a mental note to reduce the dosage, should he have need to sedate her in the future. He lifted and carried her to his best cot, where he gently laid her down. Then he knelt beside her as he tucked her in. He found himself fussing with the sheets and brushing her hair out of her face; he was in complete awe of her.

He hadn't planned any of this, and he wasn't prepared to handle the fallout of his abrupt abduction. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to worry about it, not with Caitlin so close after weeks of separation.

He had only returned to Earth-1 to trade Wally West for the Flash's speed, though part of him had wanted to see Cait again. He underestimated the depth of his longing, so he hadn't been prepared for their reunion. Even if he had, he couldn't have anticipated her reaction.

She always surprised him.

He expected to see her hiding behind Cisco and Joe when Team Flash gathered for the prisoner exchange; instead, she engaged him directly and acknowledged their connection - their relationship - and once she had, leaving her behind was no longer an option.

Yes, that was it. She was a liability now that his identity had been revealed. Even though only a handful of people knew, it would be far too easy for an enemy to make the connection, and while he knew none of the heroes on Team Flash would harm Cait to get to him, there were too many people desperate for a weakness to exploit. Barry had failed to protect her even before he lost his powers.

Yes, leaving her out in the open was too risky. That's why he took her.

He stood up, knowing he had to leave. Yet he remained unwilling to take his eyes off of her.

Jay - it was easy to think of himself as Jay when he was in her presence - knew that it was too good to be true. Not only was he cured, but he was more powerful than ever. Having Cait with him on top of that would be... improbable, but as soon as he considered it, he decided he must have it. He wanted the speed, the power, and Caitlin Snow.

And Zoom always got what he wanted.

Jay examined her face for a few moments, remembering what it had been like to wake up next to her.

The first time was the day after they first met. He had been locked up in the pipeline overnight while they waited on tests to confirm his identity. She woke him up early the next morning with breakfast, going so far as to eat with him. Despite Barry's mistrust, she was friendly. No, she was _kind_.

The next time was after a late night working on the Speed Cannon. When he woke up, Caitlin was an arm's length away, draped over a pile of files. After that, he made a habit of falling asleep at STAR Labs, hoping to wake up to her. And sure enough, whenever he crashed on one of the lab's couches or cots, she was always the one who roused him, or, in some cases, curled up next to him.

But that was before he started spending his nights with her.

He knew how foolish it was, investing his emotions in another person, but he was too enthralled by their relationship to let logic interfere.

Jay turned away from her beautiful face and steeled himself, donning his armored persona of Hunter and his mask of Zoom. The sedative could last anywhere from four to eight hours, and he had a lot of work to do before then.

Somehow, he would convince her to stay.

* * *

 **Earth-1. A little over five months ago, on Christmas Eve...** The party at Joe's house became very tense after Wally's arrival. Caitlin understood. They were family who had only just met. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to discover a long-lost relative, let alone a parent or child.

Like everyone else, she made an effort to speak with Wally, but he was clearly uncomfortable getting so much attention from a room full of strangers. She didn't push too much, so all she learned about him was that he liked cars and had an interest in mechanical engineering.

Wally wasn't the only one acting distant and awkward. Jay had introduced himself but backed off immediately, lurking in the shadows like an unwanted interloper. She wondered if he still felt like an outsider, even after working with them for months.

Cisco and the others didn't know that the kiss under the mistletoe wasn't their first, but being openly affectionate in front of her friends was a big step for them. Jay was shy and a little old-fashioned about things like that. She found it incredibly endearing.

She circled back to join him on the couch, and a warm smile spread across his face when she sat down next to him.

"So, how does this measure-up with the holidays back on Earth-2?" she asked.

"Actually, this is one of the best Christmas Eves I've had in years," he replied. "Back home, I, uh, didn't have a lot of people in my life. My family... we aren't close, and I didn't really have a lot of friends. I ended up working through my last two Christmases."

"Well, I'm glad you joined us," she said. "Actually, I was getting ready to go and thought you might want a ride."

"Yeah," he said. "Thank you."

After they said their goodbyes, she brought up the fact that she didn't even know where he had been staying on Earth-1. He admitted he wasn't sure how she'd react to where he lived. Apparently, it wasn't a traditional home.

"Maybe one day I'll give you a tour," he said. fumbling for an explanation. "But right now it's a complete mess..."

"Well than, maybe you could have a nightcap at my place," she suggested.

She hadn't planned on the invitation, it just sort of slipped out, and she found herself blushing at the expression on his face - surprised but pleased, interested yet reserved.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied.

Caitlin felt nervous when they got in the car. She scrambled to come up with something - anything - to ask.

"I'm constantly amazed by you," Jay said, sparing her the effort of thinking of something to say. "Nobody knows how much you do for this city, this world. All they ever see is the Flash, and they name days and drinks after him."

"Barry is the one out there, saving people," she replied. "Besides, I don't do it for the credit. The last thing I want is for Central City to announce 'Snow Day.'"

They laughed, and her nervousness vanished.

"See? That's what I mean," Jay replied. "Without you and the others at STAR Labs, the Flash wouldn't know who needed rescuing when, let alone figure out how to defeat all the metas in this city. Back on Earth-2, I worked alone, juggling everything myself. I thought it was safer for everyone that way, but maybe if I had someone like you back on my earth, I could've defeated Zoom."

"I'm part of a team," she said. "And so are you. You've helped us, Jay. More than you know."

"I guess," he replied. "I just wish I could do more."

"You never had anyone help you on Earth-2?" Caitlin asked, curious. "You were a hero. People must have offered."

"Yeah, well, the first to offer was Wells. He made contact with me and said STAR Labs could support me. I thought it was because they'd been commissioned by the Department of Defense to create containment cells for metahumans, but it didn't take long for me to discover that he wanted to clean up his own mess so nobody would find out that the particle accelerator was responsible for creating metahumans."

"There must've been others."

"At that point, I wasn't so trusting," he admitted. "Wells and I had a very public enmity, and STAR Labs came up with marketing spin: Wells and the Flash, frenemies that saved the city."

"Frenemies?" she repeated, laughing. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, well, that was when I realized that meta-humans weren't the only danger when it came to the Flash working with other people."

They continued to discuss the media's portrayal of metahumans until she pulled into her regular parking spot at home. They made their way to her door and into her apartment in a comfortable silence.

"You have an amazing place," he commented almost as soon as he entered.

"I'm glad," she said, the words escaping her before she had a chance to really think about what she was saying. "I mean, not about Zoom and all the horrible things he's done or you losing your speed, but... if none of those things happened, then maybe I would never have met you. And, I... uh, I'm glad we met."

"Me too," he said.

Caitlin realized that how close they were, and she suddenly couldn't recall what they had been talking about.

She tipped her head back to maintain eye contact he came closer. Even in her heels, he was still six inches taller.

Caitlin leaned forward, closing her eyes as his lips came down over hers. It was soft and gentle, like their kiss under the mistletoe, but the privacy made her bold. She nipped at his lower lip, and she felt more than heard his groan.

One of his arms came around her lower back, pulling her closer and lifting her off her feet. She grabbed at his leather jacket, sighing when his other hand tangled in her hair, lightly tugging her head back to change the angle of their kiss.

Her feet touched the floor again, but the kiss continued as Jay took over, his tongue sliding into her mouth experimentally. Her hands wandered up to his hair and cheek.

When they broke apart, her heart was racing in anticipation, and when she saw the look on his face - hungry, lustful - her heart skipped a few beats. She must've gasped, or her expression gave her away, because his entire demeanor changed. He became composed and concerned.

"Caitlin, if this is moving too fast for you - "

She laughed.

"Right, that's probably not the best expression for a former speedster," he said. "I only mean..."

"I know what you mean," she replied. "I think we've both been patient enough."

She reached up and kissed him again, and she felt his smile widen as he turned his head to the side.

She did her best to guide him toward her bedroom, which was in the back of the apartment. She never realized how far it was from the front door before. Together they stumbled and discarded their jackets before spinning into the room.

He let her take the lead, but as soon as she tugged off his shirt, he made quick work of the rest of their clothing, leaving only their undergarments.

Caitlin hadn't been with anyone since Ronnie, and she was definitely nervous. The fact that she liked Jay - _really_ liked Jay - didn't help matters, and neither did the fact that she had been imagining this night for a very, very long time.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her down over his lap, sending a chill up her spine when she felt his hardness press against her.

They kissed again, slowly this time, and her fingers explored him as best they could, wrapping around his enormous biceps, tracing the hard lines of his incredibly firm form. Her entire body vibrated with need as she imagined being wrapped up in him.

She pushed away from him to get a better look at his face. He was attractive, there was no denying that, but there was something about Jay Garrick unabashedly turned-on that was absolutely sinful to behold.

"You're... beautiful," he whispered, his voice muffled with awe.

"And you are a perfect male specimen," she replied with all the bravado she could muster.

Jay's expression became unreadable. It seemed like disbelief mixed with reverence, and for a moment, she thought he might be reconsidering. But then he stood up, lifting her off her feet, the look in his eye a mixture of admiration and desire.

"You... are... unexpected," Jay whispered.

Caitlin woke up the next morning with Jay spooning her. There was something protective in how his arm was wrapped around her. She snuggled into it, ready to drift back to sleep in the comfort of his arms.

"Merry Christmas," Jay whispered.

"Merry Christmas," she responded automatically. Then she added, "And good morning."

"It's not morning yet, is it?"

"Not yet," she replied.

"I hope you don't find me too forward," he said. "But this is the best Christmas I've ever had."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

 **Earth-2. Now...** Caitlin woke up in the pitch black on a cot. She sat up to get her bearings. She found that she wasn't restrained, but she could barely see her hand in front of her face so the ability to move freely did her no good.

With no way to gage her surroundings, her emotions took full focus. She felt sick and embarrassed. Jay had fooled them all, but he went out of his way to make her feel like they had a connection: physical, emotional, spiritual. He had spent time with her as if she had mattered to him, focusing on her and her needs whenever he could. When the first learned Zoom's real identity, she had obsessed over why he'd wasted so much time duping her and her alone. Had it just been about the sex? Or was it just his way of having fun? Or was there something else, something she couldn't see?

He must have other plans for her because there was no doubt in her mind that their "relationship" had been nothing but a mind game, just a cog in a villain's master plan.

She was enraged. She hated him for what he'd done, yet every time she closed her eyes, she remembered those affectionate and passionate moments. She didn't know if she should laugh, cry, or vomit.

Caitlin took a deep breath. She needed to focus. The only reason Zoom would bring her here was if he wanted something from her, and after everything he'd put her through, she was going to make damn sure he _never_ got it.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of his chapter, The Winter Maker, comes from _Kabibona'kan_ , the Chippewa name for the Orion constellation.

 **Author's note** : Updated this chapter after a bit of proofreading for _Orion_ in its entirety. Some additional (minor) content was added to this chapter as part of that processes.


	2. Nair al Saif

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Caitlin has her first encounter with Zoom as his captive. Hunter attempts to create inroads to their previous relationship.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**  
 **Nair al Saif**

* * *

 **Earth-1, about seven months ago...** Jay arrived at STAR Labs at six in the morning, gravitating immediately to the coffee machine. He kept things would become easier, yet the distance between him and his first caffeinated cup seemed endless.

This was life without his speed.

Jay did a double take when he saw a freshly brewed pot waiting and ready.

"I hope you don't mind dark roast," Caitlin said as she came in, two mugs in hand.

"I, uh, wasn't expecting anyone here so early."

She handed him a mug, and he watched her take the first pour of the pot.

Jay was taken with her. At first he thought it was his curiosity, for, by the time he figured out that the Earth-1 Flash worked with STAR Labs, she had already started working at Mercury Labs, so he hadn't observed her as much as the others.

She smiled at him, and his heart rate elevated slightly.

No, it wasn't his curiosity.

"You're the only person who's gotten here before me," she said.

"I was never much of an early riser until I came through the singularity. Now I can't sleep past five."

"Huh. Do you think that the environmental stimuli on this earth are different enough to affect autonomic function?" she asked. "Or maybe the singularity altered your circadian rhythms when you passed through it."

"You think I have multidimensional jet lag?" he asked.

They both laughed, and his heart rate went up again. There was a brief and awkward silence that he desperately wanted to fill, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

Caitlin was incredibly distracting.

He fidgeted with his hands and realized he was still holding an empty mug, so he poured himself some coffee.

"I thought that, since the Snart family dilemma seems to be over for now, maybe you could use me," she said. She seemed flustered for a moment before she added, "I mean, on the Speed Canon. You said a second pair of hands would be helpful."

"That would be great."

They spent the next hour or so discussing the mechanics while polishing off the entire pot of coffee. He was exhilarated by the conversation, which he had only intended to be a ten-minute overview, but it had gotten away from him as he became hyperaware of everything he said and did, overanalyzing every second of it.

Jay had always been highly self-aware around people; that was one of the reasons he preferred to work alone. But this was different. He didn't just want her to have a positive impression of him. No, he wanted her to _like_ him, as in a reciprocation of his own feelings. He felt ridiculous. He couldn't remember the last time he tried to impress anybody, and he was absolutely certain it showed.

Maybe it was his imagination, but she seemed to see right through him, like she could tell things about his character by how he sipped his coffee or how close he stood to her while they spoke. He felt exposed and disarmed, more so than the days of invasive medical testing she performed.

Yet, despite that, she smiled. She saw through him and _smiled_.

Jay knew he was in trouble before they even reached the Breach Room.

He was no fool. He knew he was a good-looking man, and more than one woman had ignored darker, negative aspects of his personality in favor of physical attraction. But Caitlin hadn't shown that kind of interest in him, not until he started talking about his lab and his research.

She was a beautiful genius from another universe, and that was a problem. When people talked about 'long distance relationships,' they meant couples who lived in different states, countries, or continents, not separate universes. He could enjoy her friendship and their little flirtations, but it couldn't go any further than that.

A beautiful genius from another universe saw right through him and _smiled_ at what she saw? No, it wasn't meant to be.

...

"Like this?" she asked as she adjusted the damping mount.

"You're off by about ten degrees," he replied. "They need to be perpendicular to the floor."

She nodded and shifted in the wrong direction with a ferocious determination in her eyes.

Jay came up behind her. She was tense, and he wondered if it was because she was nervous. His stomach tightened in knots when he considered that it could be for the same reason he was.

"I've done this so much, sometimes I forget," he said as he brought an arm up and under hers. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," she replied.

"Since we're not working on a standing structure, you have to visualize," he explained. "It might feel wrong, but that's normal. I have to resist the urge to check the diagram over and over again. Because you need to trust yourself. You already know where this belongs. The mount needs to be perpendicular to the floor for the vibration dampeners to have full effect."

With one arm, he continued to support hers while the other extended out in front of her, using the long wrench he'd been using to illustrate his point. He had to move forward slightly, pressing his chest against her back, to reach out far enough to show her what he was talking about. He continued to explain things in a calm voice, despite the fact that his mind was reeling from the physical contact.

"Right now this seems like it's the top of the structure," he continued. "But once we finish this, it'll be connected to the bottom of the stabilizer ring's leg, toward the floor. Right now you're seeing it like this, but it's actually like this."

He moved the wrench so that it represented where the floor would be in relation to the mount.

"So, down is left," she said quietly.

Before he could answer, she adjusted perfectly and tightened it in the right place. Without further instruction. Without clarification. Without question.

He bit his lip before reluctantly stepping away from her. Smart was sexy, and brilliance elicited a physical response he wouldn't be able to conceal from her at such a proximity.

"Perfect," he said. 

* * *

**Earth-2, now...** Hunter relished Ascension Cliffs. Not only did he have an established keep there - a place he called the Roost - but it was one of the few hideouts he had kept secret from nosy meta-humans like Reverb. That was why he kept his most valuable bargaining chips and long-term prisoners there.

 _So you decided to keep the woman you think you love, with all your other prized possessions._

He shook his head. Hunter didn't _think_ he loved Caitlin, he knew it. That was the only possible explanation for why he couldn't stop thinking about her and why he was constantly worried for her safety. He loved her. She would see that eventually, if she didn't already. She was a smart girl, after all.

 _You're insane if you believe that. Caitlin won't see you as anything but a monster. She won't forgive the things you've done._

Luckily, Hunter required her safety, not her forgiveness.

Of all his secret locales, the Roost had the best security. The only others who knew about its location were Team Flash, who were stranded on Earth-1 with no means of traveling to or communicating with Earth-2.

 _Untrue. Cisco was able to vibe across dimensions and contact you, and he's just scratched the surface of his abilities. It won't be long before he can contact anyone, anytime on Earth-2._

Hunter considered the implications of Vibe's intrusions, but he concluded that they wouldn't be a problem. Not yet. He'd worry about it later. Right now, he had someone important to check on.

Zoom rushed to Ascension Cliffs, making short work of the day's chores: checking on the prisoners, depositing food inside their cells, and inspecting the containment areas. There were no surprises.

There were never any surprises.

He took a moment to compose himself before entering his lab at the back of the cavern. It wasn't exactly cozy, but it had all the makings of a real world living space - flooring, insulation, ventilation, and running water - despite its location. On those rare occasions when Zoom had experienced injury, this place acted as his refuge and recovery room. No one else had ever been inside.

Not until Caitlin.

 _She's a smart woman. Smarter than you._

Zoom darted inside and found Caitlin curled up on the cot, facing away from the door. The food he'd left for her - her favorite granola bars - were untouched on the table. The same was true for the bottled water.

 _"Caitlin, you need to eat,"_ he said in his modulated Zoom voice.

She didn't respond.

He zipped around to the other side of the cot, and she flinched away from him.

 _"You haven't had anything to eat or drink in twelve hours."_

She sat up and moved to the opposite side of the cot, hunching her shoulders and glaring at him.

"If you want to talk to me, take off that mask."

She couldn't see it, but he smiled at that. He loved the ferocity inside of her. He raced out of the room, donned his Jay attire, and returned in less than a second.

"Does this make you feel better?" he asked in his normal voice.

"Nothing you do could ever make me feel better."

"I know you think I'm a monster," he said. "I understand why, but Cait - "

She interrupted, "Don't call me that."

"Why starve yourself, Caitlin?" he asked, not so much as batting an eye at the command in her voice.

"Why am I here?" she asked. "You're cured. You don't need me for anything."

"You're here because I love you," he replied, getting a little closer to her. "And because you weren't safe."

"Safe?" she repeated in disbelief. "You call this _safe_?"

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"You mean besides being abducted and imprisoned by a mass murderer?"

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you. I'd never hurt you."

"You'd never hurt me?" she asked. "You already have!"

In an effort to put distance between them, Caitlin got to her feet and moved away, but her knees buckled, throwing her forward.

He caught her, scooping her up in his arms and putting her back on the cot.

"Put me down!" she yelled. "Don't touch me!"

He put his hands up and stepped back.

"You need to eat," he repeated.

She wouldn't look at him.

"You're angry. It's understandable, but I know you, Caitlin. You're not self-destructive," he said. "You should make yourself at home. You're going to be here for a while."

He changed into his Zoom suit before leaving the lab in a whirl of blue lightning. He raced down the cliffs and deep into the wilderness, letting the rush chase away the nagging doubts that were quickening into anger.

He hadn't expected her to return his declaration of love, but her reaction cut deep, right down to the part of himself he tried to bury with his mother. She had acted like he was... he was...

 _An insane monster._

He roared, letting the fury coursing through his veins erupt from his mouth and echo through the mountains. A long time ago, he had taken measures to protected himself, to ensure he never felt pain like this again, but Caitlin circumvented every precaution, scaled every wall, and climbed into his heart.

 _Caitlin hasn't done anything wrong._

Hunter stopped at the top of a mountain and tore off his cowl, letting the wind buffet his skin. He couldn't let his anger take control. He closed his eyes and dug into those memories on Earth-1, recalling every moment with her. It washed over him, quelling the biter ember that had flared inside of him.

She loved him. She hadn't said the words, but she told him in other ways: every smile, every concerned glance, every touch, every promise, every time she trusted him. She was furious with him, yes, but she loved him.

 _She won't forgive you._

Grodd, the giant telepathic gorilla, had attempted to kill various members of Team Flash, and she hadn't had any issues forgiving him after he abducted her. Why wouldn't she do the same for him?

 _Grodd didn't betray her deepest trust._

That brought a smile to his face. The reason she was so upset now was _because_ she loved him.

He donned his mask and charged to Central City. His revelation had also given him an idea on how to handle his future Vibe problems. 

* * *

Caitlin exhaled when he left. She was enraged and terrified, shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her system. She sat up straight and closed her eyes, but she couldn't focus. There were too many emotions battling inside of her, all jockeying for control.

He said he kidnapped her because he _loved_ her, because he needed to _protect_ her.

Oddly, the feeling that came to the forefront was bitterness. Five weeks ago, an 'I love you' from Jay Garrick would've induced euphoria. She had been in love with him, but she hadn't told him. She hadn't been ready, but she knew she loved him. She had simultaneously longed to tell him and feared speaking the truth, worried about his reaction, even though she knew - or _thought_ she knew - that he felt the same way. So she waited for him to say it first.

But Jay never got a chance to say those three little words because Jay never existed. He was a persona Hunter used to get close to her. The declaration of love she thought she'd never have a chance to hear came from Hunter after he abducted her. Did he think that because he made her believe he loved her as Jay that she'd be stupid enough to fall for it again, or was he honestly delusional?

 _No, not delusional._

The one benefit of spending so much time with Jay - Hunter - was that she had observed his behavior more than anyone else, and she had never seen him display any sign of delusion. The only red flag she'd witnessed was him ruminating, which she attributed it to the trauma of his previous battles with Zoom and losing his speed.

Her stomach growled loudly.

She cast a glance over at the table, which was filled with Granite Granola bars, her favorite. He'd gone so far as to remove the one flavor that she never ate but always had around her apartment because her favorite kinds were only sold in the variety pack.

The downside to spending so much time with Jay - Hunter - was that he had plenty of opportunity to study her.

She picked up a bottle of water and examined it. If Zoom wanted her dead, he wouldn't resort to poison, but that didn't mean she could trust anything he gave her. He could've laced the water and food with any number of chemicals to affect her mood and behavior.

She glanced around the room. The cot and table were in the far back next to a bathroom and kitchenette. The corner occupied less than an eighth of the entire room. The rest was a science lab outfitted with a medical bay.

She hadn't noticed before because of the dimness, not to mention the sedatives. If Jay - Hunter - hadn't come in and triggered an adrenaline rush, she would probably still be in a fog.

Caitlin looked over the equipment at her disposal: scalpels, syringes, pharmaceuticals, beakers, flutes, an array of chemicals, Bunsen burners... it was no short list.

There was no delineation between medicine and other chemical experiments, probably a result of Jay's - Hunter's - work on Velocity-6 and its precursors, and about a third of the lab space was dedicated to engineering and physics. Everything was safely stored, sterilized, ventilated, and labeled in Jay's - Hunter's - handwriting.

She found the familiarity comforting. 

* * *

**Earth-1, about four months ago in January...** Caitlin parked outside an older, partially renovated building.

"You live here?" she asked.

"I told you, it's not a typical home," Jay replied.

He led her inside through a heavy storm door.

"I forgot to mention, there's a lot of stairs... and no elevator," he said apologetically.

Caitlin looked up and saw thirty flights in the stairwell. He wasn't kidding.

"So, how did you find this place?" she asked as they began to climb.

"When I woke up here, I had no idea I was on a different earth," he began. "I was disoriented and confused, but I knew something wasn't right. Besides the fact that I wasn't healing, I mean. I snuck out of the hospital but didn't get too far. I was walking down the street when this little boy - must've been six or seven - ran out in front of a pickup truck. I got him out of the way, but..."

"You got hit by a car?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes, which was actually a good thing. The boy - Roger - his mother is some big developer who owns tons of property all around Central City."

"Ester Silverton?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes, that's her," he replied.

He stopped at a door labeled "#14," and he held it open for her, a perfect gentleman.

"Thank you," she said.

"She told me, if I ever needed a place to stay, she'd help me out," he continued. "I jokingly asked if she had any place that'd double as a lab. Apparently renovations on this building have been halted indefinitely."

He stopped by a large door and unlocked it, stepping inside and flicking a switch. All the lights came on overhead, revealing a large, wide-open space that had been converted into a dual lab for physics and chemistry.

"Wow," she said. "You live here?"

"Technically, I live over there," he said, pointing to the other side of the room.

She followed him through a pair of glass doors and found a medium-sized kitchenette, the kind that would serve as a work-place break room, and a small bathroom.

"This place is amazing, Jay."

"It's, uh, not much of a living space," he said. "But it does have some perks besides the short commute."

"Like what?"

Jay turned off the lab lights, leaving them with the much softer lighting used in the living area.

"Let me show you," he said as he held his hand out to her.

She took it, and he led her to a ladder. They both climbed up to a short hallway that ended in a large, lofted bedroom on one side and an enormous, floor-to-ceiling window on the other. There was a gap between the floor and the window, so they could see up and down through both stories.

He dimmed the remaining lights before he joined her and wrapped his arms around her.

"The view," he said in her ear.

The entire city was lit up, stretching out below them, save for the downtown skyscrapers, which rose up in the distance. Above that, the stars shined down, somehow visible despite the city's light pollution. Caitlin felt dwarfed by it.

"It's the stars that get me," he confessed. "There's no place in my Central City where you can see the skyline and the stars like this. Trust me, I've looked."

They stood there for a long time, staring out at the view. His arms brought her closer, and he put his head on top of hers. Her hands covered his forearms, one sliding down to one of his, where they clasped together.

Caitlin relaxed into his embrace. She felt safe here, even though it was new and unknown to her. Jay made her feel safe in a city full of rogue metahumans and Zoom on the horizon.

She turned around and kissed him, her lips hard and wanting as her hands came around his back. He reciprocated. His hands wandered up to her hair and down to her lower back.

His kiss was like exhaling after holding her breath a second too long. She reached up around the back of his neck, and he lifted her off her feet, spinning her so her back was against the hallway wall.

She wrapped her legs around his lower back, gasping as she felt his erection against her. She felt a rush of warmth flood her skin as wetness pooled in her center, Jay's teeth tugging gently at her bottom lip.

Jay carried her into the bedroom, holding her like he'd never let her go. 

* * *

**Earth-2, now...** Caitlin felt her body relax, the tension in her muscles releasing as her heart rate returned to normal.

 _You're safe here._

The thought jolted her from her lull. She was _not_ safe here, in the lair of a madman with super-powers. However she felt about Jay, he wasn't here. He never was. Jay was Hunter, and Hunter was Zoom.

 _Get the Hell out of here._

The scope and layout of the lab was impressive and, given the lab's owner, terrifying. But Jay - Hunter - had underestimated her, and Caitlin was ready to make him regret that error.

She had everything she required to escape. There were a dozen ways to bypass the electromagnetic lock on the door. She could fashion herself a handheld flamethrower and a few other chemical weapons to breach any barriers she encountered.

As Caitlin ran the calculations in her head, something else occurred to her. This lab had terrible lines of sight. With the chemicals at her disposal, she could craft and disperse improvisational incendiary devices that would ignite on contact with a speedster's friction. With the right positioning, she could turn this lab-dungeon into a fiery conflagration even Zoom wasn't fast enough to escape.

 _But then what will you do? You could be stuck in the mountains with no way down, and you'd be stranded on Earth-2._

Barry and Cisco had told her that Zoom kept his prisoners in a place only a speedster could reach, which meant she couldn't leave without Jay - Hunter - taking her. Even if she could descend on her own, she'd be stranded on Earth-2, where her doppelganger was a murderous metahuman.

There was no life for her here, and Zoom was her only way home.

She considered blowing the lab up anyway. It might kill her or maroon her in a universe where she'd probably be arrested and jailed for Killer Frost's crimes, assuming she wasn't killed by one of her counterpart's enemies. But if she stopped Zoom in the process, it would be worth it.

 _Ronnie would be so disappointed in you._

It was true. He'd never want her to throw her life away in a desperate attempt like that, not unless it was her very, very last resort. Cisco, Barry, Wells, Joe, Iris, Jesse... everyone back on Earth-1 would want her to live. They were probably working on a plan to rescue her. They needed her to hold on, to give them time.

Hunter had taken enough from her. She wouldn't let him have her life, too. Not if she could help it.

The way he spoke about his plans for her, it was clear that they were long-term. She had time to devise a strategy, hopefully one that would take down Zoom and allow her to escape with her life. And if she was truly stranded in this universe, than Earth-2 Iris and Barry could help her because, somehow, they were good people in every universe.

That made her smile.

Caitlin gathered a random sampling of granola bars and water bottles and brought them to one of the lab counters. It would take a few hours, but she had everything she needed to test for contaminants and drugs. If she didn't find anything, they'd be safe to eat. If she did find something, then it could indicate what Hunter had planned for her.

So she went to work on her plan, phase one: information gathering. 

* * *

Zoom was pleased with his day's work when he returned to the Roost. As always, there were no surprises with his prisoners. He changed into his Jay attire before zipping into the back lab.

And what he found there was surprising.

Caitlin had been using his equipment, so he inspected the room, filling it with blue lightning as he covered every inch of the space in the blink of an eye.

There were no booby traps, no weapons, nothing. Whatever she had been doing, she hadn't armed herself. Neither did she attempt to escape. She hadn't even tried to unlock the door yet.

She had stayed. It made his heart flutter.

He stopped by the littered lab counter.

"Someone's been busy," he commented.

Caitlin looked at him, and he saw the fear hovering behind her eyes, though she tried to conceal it with anger.

That was when he noticed the wrappers, and he realized what she had been doing.

"You thought I'd poison you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not poison, no."

"Then why did you test the food I left for you?"

"It wouldn't be the first time you drugged me."

"I sedated you so I could safely carry you through the breach," he replied. "I didn't drug the water you were drinking. I used a syringe."

"So I can trust the food and water you give me because, if you wanted to drug me, you'd inject me?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Her expression changed from fury to disgust and then to frustration.

"I can be honest with you now, Caitlin," he continued. "I said I brought you here to protect you, and I meant that. You weren't safe on Earth-1."

"How can I believe anything you say, Jay? You lied to me about everything!"

"Not everything," he said. "Not about what's important. Not about us."

She scoffed in disbelief. He needed a way to break through to her, and he needed it now.

"So, what?" she asked. "You're just going to _keep_ me here?"

 _She's a smart woman._

The best way to get through to Caitlin was to show her that Earth-2 needed her just as much, if not more, than Earth-1. He had just the project to illustrate that need.

"No," he replied. "This world needs you, Caitlin. You have valuable skills - "

"To help people," she interrupted. "I help people, which is the opposite of what you do."

He smiled, doing his best to ignore that last jab. He said, "There's someone just outside this door that will die very soon unless you can save her."

"What are you talking about?"

He heard the accusation in her voice. She thought he was implying that, if she didn't do as he told her, he'd kill someone.

"Not that," he replied. "I'm not in the process of hurting her, nor do I have any intention of doing so, regardless of what you choose."

"Choose?" she repeated. "If I can choose, then I want to go home!"

"That's not an option."

She turned away as she said, "Then just leave. Leave me alone."

He smiled faltered, but he forced it back into place. He had told her not to be afraid of him, and she certainly wasn't. It was simultaneously annoying and refreshing.

"We both know that, if you wanted to, you could've escaped," he replied as he slowly moved closer to her. "I only locked the door to see if you'd unlock it. You could've disrupted the power supply or burned through the hinges. You could've armed yourself."

"What makes you think I haven't?" she asked, her back still turned to him.

He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, and he felt every muscle in her body tighten as she inhaled sharply. She became even more tense as he stepped closer, pressing his chest against her back. His arm came up around hers, his hand finding her wrist, and he felt her heart rate erratically beating against his fingers.

"Because I know you, Caitlin," he whispered.

He watched her struggle to calm herself with a few uneasy breaths before she stepped away and wrenched her arm free of his grasp as she turned to look at him.

"Don't," was all she said as she backed away. "Just don't."

He acquiesced to her request and moved away. She visibly relaxed, but she wouldn't look up from the floor.

"I have lied to you before," he said. "But I don't have any reason to anymore, and I don't want to. I've never wanted to. And I know you don't trust me right now - "

"I will never trust you," she interrupted quietly.

"I'm going to show you," he continued, his frustration easily subdued by his admiration. "I believe that, at the very least, I have proven to you that I am a very patient man."

Caitlin shook her head and sat on the cot, covering her eyes with the palm of her hand. A few minutes passed in silence.

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't this. He didn't like it. His offer should've been more than enough to entice her curiosity, but he knew pushing the idea any further would only make her more suspicious.

That left him one option.

"I'll let you think about it," he said, turning as if to leave.

"Wait," she prompted. "If I can save her, what happens to her then?"

His lips curled into a knowing smile. There was the Caitlin he knew and loved. He schooled his features before he spun around to face her.

He replied, "That, I'll leave to you."

"You'd spare her?" she asked. "You'd let her go?"

"If that's what you decide."

"That's what I'll decide," she said resolutely as she stood up. "I'm a doctor. I'll always want my patients to live freely."

"You have my word," he said. "Which I will prove to you is something I keep. So, Caitlin, what do you say?"

She nodded reluctantly, and he immediately donned his Zoom suit, though he left his cowl off.

"You don't need that."

"Oh, but you do," he replied. "No one can know you're helping me willingly."

"I am _not_ helping you willingly," she snapped.

"No," he said, smiling at the fire inside her. "But you're not like my other prisoners. If anyone suspects that you know my true identity, they will come for you. It's safer if everyone thinks I'm forcing you to help these metas, especially if you plan on letting them go."

"I do."

"Good," he replied as he drew the mask over his head. He switched to his modulated Zoom voice and said, _"Then I will dress the part. Time to meet your patient."_

Caitlin clenched her jaw as he took hold of her and whisked her to the front of the Roost, where he kept his captives. Before he could make introductions, the prisoner spoke up.

"Why, hello, doppelganger of mine," the prisoner said.

Caitlin was shocked as she looked over her Earth-2 counterpart, identical yet so drastically different. He knew because he had catalogued those divergent characteristics as a pastime while waiting for Team Flash to find a way back to Earth-2.

She said, "You're... you're Killer Frost."

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, Nair al Saif, comes from the name of the star Iota Orionis, and the name translates to 'the bright star of the sword.'

 **Author's notes** : I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to thank you all for the positive responses for this piece. Your reviews, follows, and favorites really make my day. I have plans to incorporate characters and events from the comic books as well as a few things of my own devising.

Also, I updated this chapter after a bit of proofreading on _Orion_ in its (current) entirety, and some additional content was added to this chapter as part of that process.


	3. The Hunting Dogs

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter summary** : Caitlin must find a cure for Killer Frost's insatiable hunger for heat while Zoom makes preparations for his next move. In the past, Caitlin and Jay argue about his choice to lie about the cause of his illness.

 **Important note** : In canon, Killer Frost talks about her backstory in 02x19 _Back to Normal_ , but in Orion, her origin story based off the events in the New 52 comics.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**  
 **The Hunting Dogs**

* * *

Caitlin stared at her doppelganger with a combination of curiosity and confusion. They were supposed to be genetically identical, which meant neither had the metahuman gene. So how did Killer Frost have powers?

" _Play nice_ ," Zoom ordered.

Then he disappeared in a flash of blue.

"You must be Caitlin Snow," Frost said. "Your little friend Cisco wouldn't shut up about you."

"He mentioned you," Caitlin replied. "You don't seem to be dying."

"Dying to get out of here. Tell you what... You break me out, and I'll get you down those cliffs."

Caitlin sized her up. If she wasn't ill, then Hunter had chosen a particularly stupid lie. He was a lot of things, but unintelligent? No.

"I'm _hungry_ ," Frost replied. "It's been too long since I've had a nice, warm meal."

She had a sharp look in her eye that matched the icicles collecting at the edge of her lips. She clearly wasn't talking about food.

"Did dark matter do this to you?"

"Oh this?" she asked as she raised her hands, icing them over for effect. "Hardly. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say I had a little accident at the STAR Lab's Arctic facility three years ago. I woke up freezing cold and starving, and... well, you can guess the rest."

"Your body needs heat," Caitlin said, cottoning on. "It's trying to compensate for the energy imbalance. I'm guessing additional calorie intake isn't enough?"

"Smart cookie," Frost said blandly.

"So you aren't sick or injured," Caitlin continued. "I don't understand. If you've lived like this for three years, what's changed?"

"Spoke too soon," Frost replied. She tapped on the wall of her cell. "I attacked the most dangerous man alive. Instead of killing me quickly, he left me to rot. A few more days in here without another mammal for company, and I'll be frozen solid."

"Why other endotherms? They'd be unreliable, but an insulated thermal suit - "

"I had someone," she confessed, cutting off Caitlin's reply. "He kept me warm and never cooled down."

Caitlin saw something pass over her doppelganger, a flicker of sorrow that cut through her bravado, crushing her facade of steel and ice. There was only one person in any universe that had that kind of effect on her heart.

Caitlin whispered, "Ronnie."

A few moments of silence passed between them, and as much as it hurt to remember Ronnie, his memory, like the man himself, inspired her. If Firestorm managed to counteract Killer Frost's energy imbalance without negative effect, that meant a permanent solution existed somewhere in the Firestorm matrix.

"We need to get out of here," Frost said, jolting her from her thoughts. "Zoom could be back any minute."

"I think I might be able to help you," she replied. "Something that mimics Firestorm's - Deathstorm's - fusion. The power source will be tricky, but - "

"Don't bother trying to fix me," Frost interrupted. "If I don't die on my own, Zoom will kill me. He's just messing with my head. Our heads. The only chance either of us have is getting out before he comes back."

If Frost could get them down the cliffs, Caitlin could reach out to Earth-2 Iris and Barry. They could help her hide until she found a way to return to Earth-1. Harrison Wells had done it without a speedster, so there must be a way.

"Can't you ice your way out of there?" Caitlin asked.

"Nope. Carbyne."

Freezing would have no effect on carbyne, but heat could render the barrier fragile. Without proper ventilation, she couldn't rely on fire or chemical thermogenesis, but if she passed an electrical current through it and amplified it, the wall would become like glass. All she needed was a power source that wouldn't burn out before the job was done.

"I get you out, then you get us out," Caitlin said.

"Deal."

She made her way back to the lab, which was farther than she expected. She pushed through the door, not really paying attention to her surroundings, only to jolt in surprise.

"That took longer than I expected," Hunter commented mildly. "Planning your escape together?"

He was dressed in dark jeans and a plain t-shirt with his leather jacket, leaning against one of the counters, not a care in the world. She had expected a rush of his telltale blue lightning, not to find him lounging casually.

He _appeared_ rather nonchalant about the whole thing, but she'd witnessed his cold calculation erupt into a violent rage of triumph when he tried to kill Barry after stealing his speed. How could she be certain that he wasn't about to explode now?

"You realize what will happen if you let her out of that cell, don't you?" he asked. "She'll drain all the heat from your body. Even if she resists that particular urge, she'll absorb heat from the environment, plunging the entire cavern into below-freezing temperatures, and it won't get any better once she's outside. A localized pressure drop like that has a catastrophic effect on weather patterns. And within the first hour, she'll need heat, and a lot of it. Killer Frost will leave a trail of ice and bodies. She'll be a sitting duck for the MTU."

"MTU?"

"Metahuman Tactical Force."

"So you expect me to believe that you care what happens if she escapes?" she asked. "That you care about how many victims she kills before she's arrested?"

"The MTU doesn't arrest people," he said. "They capture metas, but you're right, I don't care how much damage she inflicts or how many people she kills. But I do care if she harms you, Caitlin."

He stood up, and she shifted away, doubt warning her not to trust anything he said or did.

"I assumed she wouldn't be very forthcoming about her condition," he continued. He held out a large file. "This illustrates it fairly well."

She took it. A quick glimpse showed her that it was filled with autopsies and CSI reports. She closed the file and put it behind her on the nearest counter, hoping that being dismissive of its content would put Hunter off his guard.

"I need blood and tissue samples," she said. "And if I do find a treatment, I'll have to administer it. I can't do any of that until she's out of that cell."

He smiled. It was a wicked thing with all his teeth showing, upturned lips, and a malicious gleam in his eye. It was so different from when he smiled as Jay, which was kind and shy. Had he really disguised everything about himself, down to his smile?

 _It was all an act. There was never any Jay. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

A flash of blue erupted, followed by a rustling wind. After a moment, the blue lightning reappeared, and Hunter stood in front of her in his Zoom suit, a sample kit in one hand and his mask in the other.

"Blood and tissue samples," he said as he placed them on the counter. "That should be more than enough for now. We can discuss administering treatment when you have something."

"Why?"

He cocked his head, and his brow knit with confusion.

"Why are you doing this?" she clarified. "Any of this. Why not just kill her?"

"Because you want to save her."

"I do, but Cisco told me she was the reason they were able to escape. She attacked you."

"She did."

 _It's like Frost said. He's doing this to mess your head._

"Then why didn't you kill her?" she asked.

Hunter looked uncomfortable, despite being inside his super-villain lair in his super-villain gear. For a few minutes of unsettling silence, it seemed like he wasn't going to answer her.

 _This is all a game to him. Helping Killer Frost is just a way to distract you while he sets up his next move. Don't trust him._

"I couldn't kill her," he said finally, his voice unusually quiet. It sounded like how he spoke when he pretended to be Jay. "I wanted to. She ruined months of planning, and she'd gotten the upper hand on me. No one else ever has. As soon as I broke free, I knocked her out and went after Wells and Barry. She was unconscious when I returned, so I put her in that cell. I told myself I spared her because I didn't have time. I had to go after Wells and Barry before they crossed the breach. But the truth is, I looked at her and saw your face, and I couldn't kill her. That day and every day since. Is that what you wanted to hear, Caitlin?"

"Is... is it the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes," she said. She quickly added, "I, uhm, suppose I should get started."

Just like that, Hunter's smug grin returned, as if he hadn't poured his blackened heart out to her. Was that because it had been a lie to begin with? Or was his nonchalant arrogance his way of covering?

 _Does it matter? He's dangerous. Don't trust him. Don't believe what he says._

"I'll be back in a few hours," he said. "Do not let her out of that cell. She will kill you."

He vanished in a swirl of blue lightning.

Caitlin was ready to free Killer Frost and hope for the best, but the brief glimpse of the file made her hesitate. She couldn't ignore it, so she spread its contents across an empty counter.

The official coroner's reports - no doubt stolen from CCPD - pertained to dozens of homicides going back three years. There were two primary causes of death: acute hypothermia (sometimes called 'flash freezing') and penetrating trauma to the heart or brain via sharp icicles.

 _Her name is Killer Frost. What did you expect?_

Caitlin didn't know enough about Frost to free her. As loathe as she was to admit Hunter was right, she had no way of defending herself from her counterpart's powers nor surviving freezing temperatures.

To dupe him, she'd have to play along with part of his plan. Saving a vicious, heat-hungry killer was easier than kissing him, which made it best bad option she had.

So she went to work. 

* * *

**Earth-1. About one month ago in April...** Jay bit back a growl as Caitlin applied an antibiotic gel over his freshly cleaned wound, the cool sensation more startling than painful. He felt a tension between them that hadn't been there at breakfast.

"I promise you that won't happen," he said. "I won't let Barry and Cisco get stranded on Earth-2. I'll find a way to stabilize the breach in time."

"I know you will."

She smiled at him, but it was strained. Whatever was bothering her hovered between them as she applied the bandage. He couldn't stand it.

"Cait?" he prompted. "Is something... is everything all right?"

"You should've told me."

He already didn't like where this conversation was going.

"You knew how dangerous Velocity-6 was, but you didn't tell me," she continued. "Not even when I asked you to use it."

"One more dose wasn't going to kill me," he replied. "And it was the only way to save Wells."

"All this time, you've convinced me that stopping Zoom would get your speed back and save you."

"Because stopping Zoom is what matters," he replied. "It's why Wells and I created the Velocity serums. It's the reason I needed to get faster in the first place."

"It won't save you."

"If we don't stop Zoom, then there is no saving me," he said as he stood up. "Don't you understand, Caitlin? Wells said he hunted me, but if that were true, I would've been dead a long time ago. Zoom stalked and tormented me, but he was just toying with me. That is how he has _fun_. I thought we were enemies battling for Central City, me to save it, him to destroy it, and good people died helping me. Even more died because I failed to save them, but every time, I managed to escape with my life. I thought... I thought it was because I was a hero, because I was destined to defeat Zoom. But I was never any match for him. All those times he could've killed me... I didn't escape him, he let me go. He kept letting me go. I still haven't... I've _never_ escaped him, Caitlin."

She put her hand on his good shoulder, guiding him back to his seat.

"Jay, I - "

"Please, let me finish," he interrupted. She nodded her head, yes. "Everything changed with Velocity-6. Not the exact formula you created but similar. I was finally fast enough to disrupt Zoom's plans, and I guess he decided his favorite punching bag had become too much trouble. But he couldn't just kill me. No, that would've been too easy."

He paused for a breath, taking her hand in his to calm himself before continuing.

"My mom used to take me on the monorail when I was a kid. We'd ride around the city together, and she'd always have something new to point out to me. Every time. So whenever I needed to clear my head, I'd take a train ride. About a week before I came to this earth, I learned what Velocity-6 was doing to me, and... It was too much. I needed to clear my head, so... even though I knew Zoom was coming for me, I got on a train to get out of my head. I didn't even think twice - I wasn't thinking straight - about the danger I was putting everybody in. Zoom had one of his metas blow out the track, timed it just right to circumvent all the safety protocols. Hundreds of people were on that train. I tried to save them, but I only got to ten people before Zoom attacked and drove me away from the crash. He broke half my ribs and one of my hips. Then he went back to the monorail crash and killed all the survivors."

He swallowed hard but willed himself to continue, "It took me five days to heal, and during those five days, Zoom attacked anyone who had anything to do with me or the Flash: my lab, my home, STAR Labs, Kansas State University, where I'd done my undergraduate. He decimated buildings that had images of my helmet, and he didn't care how many people were inside. That was the last straw for me. I decided that I needed to take him down, whatever the cost, so I added a delivery device to my suit, one that would give me a continuous dose of Velocity-6. And that night, I went after him with everything I had. I knew it was what he wanted. He was goading me. He killed over five hundred people just to get me to go after him. I was faster than I had ever been, and it still wasn't enough."

"That wasn't your fault," she said, her hand cupping his cheek. "You did everything you could to stop him."

"And it wasn't enough," he said quietly. "You've seen what he does, what he's doing. Not just to Barry but to Wells and all of you. He'll keep doing it until you're all broken like me. The only reason I'm still alive right now is because he thinks I'm dead! If he knew - if he had any idea that I was here, that I was with you..."

He stopped. He couldn't finish that sentence. He stared at the floor, his eyes burning with tears of frustration and relief. He couldn't let them out.

Caitlin let go of his hand and tipped his chin back. When he looked at her, she seemed... angry.

"Did you ever think that saving you could help us stop Zoom?" she asked with an unexpected edge to her voice.

"It's not that simple, Cait."

She shook her head as she moved away from him. She wouldn't make eye contact, suddenly solely focused on repacking her medical kit.

"When I found out about the Flash on this earth, about his team and how much good you all did, I decided that my best bet - _our_ best bet - was on Barry," he continued. "And I promised myself I'd do everything in my power to prevent him from going down the same path that I did. Getting my speed back... I want that, of course I do, but it's not as important as helping Barry defeat Zoom."

That won her attention.

"This isn't just about your speed, Jay!" she shouted. "You're sick. You're _dying_ , and you didn't tell me because you believe stopping one bad meta is more important? That saving you doesn't matter?"

As the Flash, Jay had faced down countless metahumans - some with devastating powers, others with wretched plots, and a few with both - yet somehow, Caitlin Snow in a passionate fury trumped them all.

"There are times when I don't think I'm worth saving," he admitted.

"You are!" she exclaimed. "And not because of your powers or because of the good you've done, but because Jay Garrick is worth saving."

Caitlin closed in on him, and her hand cupped his cheek. It took him a moment to meet her eye.

"You are worth saving," she repeated.

"How can you still think that?" he asked. "After I kept the truth from you for so long?"

"You're flawed," she replied. "So am I."

"No, Cait, not like me. What I've done - "

She put a finger on his lips to shush him. Then she said, "A few months ago, when we were searching for a new Firestorm counterpart for Professor Stein, I met two people. One was an educated scientist, the other was a mechanic, and that's exactly how I saw them. In my mind, Doctor Hewitt was the only option because he was like Ronnie, and whoever took his place needed to be like him. I dismissed Jax, even when the science told me that he was the better match. I want to say that it was grief and short-sightedness, but the truth is, I decided Jax was a washout after reading three pages about him. I didn't give him a chance because of arrogance and prejudice, and it almost cost Professor Stein his life."

"You misjudged him," he replied. "You didn't know - "

" _You_ didn't know," she cut him off. "You didn't know about the SpeedForce or Velocity's side-effects. You were trying to stop a madman who was four times faster than you. Alone. Why can't you forgive yourself?"

"You're right, I didn't know," he said, taking her hand in his. "But I should've. When I was working on the Velocity serums, there was this voice in the back of my head saying this wasn't the way. Every instinct I had was warning me not to take it, not to take more, but I kept telling myself there wasn't any evidence to support those instincts, even though I know that was because I was avoiding that part of the science. I kept doing it because I was too afraid. Afraid of Zoom, of what he'd do if I didn't stop him. I wasn't brave enough to admit that I needed help. The only way to get away from that vicious cycle with Velocity-6 on this earth was to punish myself for it."

"And now?" she asked, her voice strained. "Do you still need to punish yourself now that you're not alone anymore?"

"I... I thought I did."

"You don't," she said. "I meant it when I said you have me. I won't let you fall back into that habit, not with Velocity-7 or any drug. I'll find a cure. I will. But I need you to forgive yourself, so we can move forward together."

"Together," he repeated, wiping away the tear on her cheek. "I will."

She leaned in and kissed him, sweet and gentle, and the unspoken promise sealed between their lips.

Jay pulled her close so that soft fabric of her blouse pressed against his bare arms. He didn't deserve her help or her affections, let alone this kiss, yet here she was, fighting for his life with more strength and courage than he ever had.

Caitlin's arms came up around his neck, caressing the back of his head, and he felt the weight of everything he was feeling break the surface. He was in love with a beautiful, fiery genius from another universe, and he had been for a long time.

Her head tilted back as he stood up, not wanting to break away, and he met her with equal fervor. He felt like his time with her was running out, like he'd never get enough, and he wanted her to feel it. He wanted her to know what he felt, to experience everything he had been holding back.

She nibbled on his bottom lip, and he opened to her tongue as she deepened the kiss until they needed to break apart to inhale. He leaned his forehead against hers to feel her breath tickling his cheek.

"Jay, we shouldn't," she mumbled against his skin.

"You're right," he agreed. "Not now."

Caitlin's eyes met his before they flicked down to his lips. She kissed him, this time long and demanding. His skin pricked with heat as his heart began to thump harder in his chest.

"Cait - "

"Don't stop," she whispered.

With those two words, his resolve snapped. He hoisted her up, and her legs wrapped around him. Like every time he was with her, he forgot about the world around him. He forgot about losing his speed and Zoom, about STAR Labs and metahumans, about the breaches and Earth-2. There was nothing in this or any universe except for him and Caitlin.

...

They ended up slumped into one another, both reveling in the afterglow for a few minutes. Then she kissed him one last time before she reluctantly moved away to redress.

He followed her lead, relieved that the tension between them from earlier was now gone. His well-used body was fast approaching cuddle-and-sleep mode. Once clothed, he embraced her from behind, desperate to feel her close.

"We don't have time to rest," she said. "I need to clean up."

"Do you think we can make it to one of the showers without Joe or Iris seeing us?"

"We should go separately," she replied. "We both know that if we take a shower together, we'll be in there for another hour."

"Mmmmm, sounds nice."

She turned around and kissed him, sweet and gentle. It was her way of telling him that the breach had to be stabilized before they'd have time for shower sex.

He wanted - no, he needed - to tell her he loved her. That truth was begging for release.

"Cait, I - I..."

"I'll go first," she interrupted gently.

She looked at him, and her expression told him that she knew exactly what he was struggling to say. He didn't need to say it.

Not yet.

Jay watched her leave the room before turning his attention to the Speed Canon. As he looked over the damage, his mind wandered off, pondering Caitlin's scent and lips.

He was going to need a very cold shower before he'd get anything done. 

* * *

**Earth-2. Now...** Zoom raced around the mountains, pushing his newly augmented powers to the limit. Absorbing Barry's SpeedForce had done far more than heal him from the havoc of the Velocity serums. It made him faster, his mind sharper, and his senses more keen.

In many respects, it made him feel more alive. He felt the world around him differently, and more than that, he felt _hungry_ , in a very literal sense. One of the first - and in many respects, worst - effects of Velocity Sickness was complete appetite suppression, which was problematic for a man who required fifty times the average person's caloric intake.

He made a habit of running through Keystone and Central City daily. It allowed him to acquire information and kept his powers in peak condition. The high from running was so exhilarating that he raced out west to check up on Coast City.

He made a pit stop in Star City, mulling over his situation as he consumed two dozen hamburgers.

Hunter's first instinct was to call it a day and return to Caitlin. He had no doubt she would find a way to contain Killer Frost's powers, and leaving them alone gave Frost time to manipulate her counterpart into freeing her.

 _Stop acting like she needs your protection. One of these days, she'll make you regret abducting her._

The trouble was that he had other concerns beyond his love life. During the five weeks that Team Flash struggled to make Barry faster and return to Earth-2, Central City hit a particularly turbulent time, partially due to Reverb's demise. He had been a nosy jackass, but he had kept the more unruly minions under his thumb.

Zoom immediately reassigned Reverb's territories to Blacksmith, a metahuman who could merge organic and inorganic materials, her particular forte being the fusion of metal and flesh. It was important for everyone to know that anyone - no matter their position or their abilities - could easily be replaced.

 _Except Caitlin Snow._

But all the others were expendable, and any doubt that might have existed on that subject was expunged by Reverb's death. He overstepped, defied Zoom, and paid for it with his life. Blacksmith received word of her promotion less than an hour later.

Still, that had left Zoom with no Spymaster for the past five weeks, forcing him to work with partial information. Several plans were nearly derailed by nothing more than the element of surprise, and he couldn't have that.

 _Can't let them see you fail._

That was one of Zoom's rules. None of his minions were allowed to see him fail, no matter how loyal or devoted the underling.

 _That's why your plan with Caitlin will fail. Pretending she's some doctor you abducted won't work. She's nobody's underling._

Hunter shook his head. He wasn't going to resolve his issues with Caitlin by sitting and thinking about it, nor would he fix everything with a single, sweeping gesture. He needed to be patient, which meant obsessing over the situation was a bad idea.

In the end, he knew that if he showed her what was at stake here on Earth-2, what the Cause was facing, she would do the right thing. That was what heroes did, after all. She would stay to help and that would buy him time, and right now, time was exactly what he required. He didn't just want her allegiance, he wanted her heart, too.

 _She'll never love you. You're a monster._

Hunter forced himself to focus on a problem he could address. He required a new Spymaster. He had put it off long enough. Further delay was unacceptable.

As he finished his last burger, a solution occurred to him.

 _Totem, the secret weapon._

She had been his ace-in-the-hole for the past two years, and making her Spymaster served a two-fold purpose. She would provide him with much-needed information, and her frequent reports would enable him to keep tabs on her with minimal effort.

He had avoided using her too frequently before because Totem wasn't metahuman; instead, her powers were - for lack of a better word - mystical. Then there was her annoying penchant for nonviolence, but he endured it for the rarity of finding a powered person with no conflicting ambition.

Totem would gather information in the shadows, and unlike Reverb, she'd never attempt to usurp his position.

With the decision made, Zoom disembarked, racing east to check up on those under his command in Keystone and Central City. Blacksmith, Hazard, Doctor Midnight, and Black Siren were all engaged in their own enterprises, so he didn't stop to chat. He zipped by their major operating centers. There were no surprises.

There were never any surprises.

Satisfied with the state of his universe, Zoom set his sights on finding Totem. It was time they had a conversation.

 _Trusting Totem as Spymaster? After that last disaster? She's gone underground because she thinks you want her dead._

The last order he gave Totem had produced a less than desirable outcome, but she had warned him about that possibility, going so far as to advise him against it. Repeatedly. Well, begged him, really. She was one of the few with courage enough to tell Zoom a truth he didn't want to hear. It would be impressive if it wasn't so foolish.

 _What if she's told others what happened? She knows too much. She's a threat._

That was why he needed to keep tabs on her. She knew too much. It had been four weeks, so had she divulged any of his secrets, he would've known about it by now. She hadn't said a word, which meant she was an uncompromised resource. Keeping her on a short leash was his best option.

He spotted a silver-backed fox that blended in almost perfectly with the burnt debris surrounding an abandoned diner. Normally, he allowed one of her sentries to spot his approach, but today, he wanted her to know how vulnerable she was to him.

Zoom circumvented the fox and cased the interior. Totem had set up a reasonable security system: sentries at every entry point with reinforced walls and an adaptation of STAR Labs' metahuman detection protocols.

The alarm sounded a few seconds after he sped into the room.

Aida Mndawe, alias Totem, was lounging in a large, circular chair with her aardwolf and Cape hunting dog at her feet. When she saw him, her eyes went wide in fear, reflecting his blue lightning.

Her aardwolf and hunting dog rose as she got to her feet. She was five feet eight inches, a respectable height, but still short compared to Zoom. She adjusted herself, pushing a few medium-length dreadlocks into place and smoothing out her dark trousers. And just like that, she eliminated all signs of fear.

 _"Totem,"_ Zoom spoke. _"I have a job for you."_

"A job?" she repeated. "You're not here to kill me?"

 _"If I wanted you dead, you'd never see me coming."_

"I'm guessing this job isn't pleasant."

He laughed, and she flinched. Totem was strong and determined, but even she was terrified of him. That was good. It meant she wouldn't refuse his order. She clearly had no intention of escaping his empire. No doubt she knew how futile it would be to try to outrun the fastest man alive.

 _"Send out your creatures. From this day forward, you'll be watching all of Central City."_

Totem's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"I will require more familiars. That will take time. A day."

 _"I'll be back tomorrow night for a report."_

He ran, leaving his new Spymaster confused at her sudden and unexpected promotion. Soon he could begin moving the Cause forward.

 _The Cause? You've never cared about the Cause. That was all a smokescreen._

Every villain needed a master plan. The Cause had done nicely for him before, and now it would be key to winning Caitlin over.

Hunter was elated by the prospect. He had done far too much waiting in the past weeks, but he was back in active mode where he belonged.

He darted through the outskirts of the city, enjoying the emotional and physical high.

Then it all came to a screeching end. His heart skipped a few beats, his breath caught in his chest, and his stomach dropped. It was like someone had just walked over his grave. He staggered to a graceless halt, tumbling forward with uncontrolled momentum.

 _She's going to kill her!_

The alarm echoed inside his head like a mantra. He didn't have time to wonder why the verbal warning didn't hit him first, nor did he consider the implications of such a phenomenon. He raced back to the Roost at his highest velocity, for there was only one explanation.

Caitlin Snow was in mortal danger.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, The Hunting Dogs, comes from the names attributed to the stars in the constellation Orion, or Mriga ('The Deer'), as it is called in the _Rig Veda_.

Blacksmith, Hazard, and Doctor Midnight are all characters from various comic series in the D.C. Universe. Black Siren is Earth-2 Laurel Lance, just like on the show.

Totem is an original character inspired by characters from the _Animal Man_ comics. Her surname, Mndawe, comes from the true identity of Freedom Beast, Dominic Mndawe, though they're not related. Her abilities and history with Zoom will be revealed in later chapters.

 **Author's note** : I know that this chapter introduced a ton of new things, such as the MTU (Metahuman Tactical Unit), the Cause, and several new characters. The only thing I'm willing to say about this so far is that there is something happening on Earth-2, and it's not based on anything from canon (comic books or TV show), though it was inspired by some events of Season 1.

Also, I apologize for the cliffhanger, it just sort of... happened. Good news: the next chapter is already being proofed, and I hope to have it out either tomorrow or the day after.


	4. The Hearth Stones

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Additional warnings** : In addition to the general content warning, this chapter also contains mental anguish, suicidal thoughts, and depression.

 **Chapter Summary** : Caitlin attempts to save Killer Frost, but an unforeseen threat strikes, putting her life in danger.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**  
 **The Hearth Stones**

* * *

 **About an hour ago...** Caitlin went over the results again, hoping that she had missed something, but she came to the same conclusion as the last five times she reviewed the data.

The accident that gave Killer Frost her freezing abilities had completely disrupted her thermoregulation, causing a major energy imbalance, and her digestive system simply couldn't compensate. Frost could survive at ultra-low temperatures without ill effect, but only if she absorbed high-intensity bursts of heat through her skin. Deathstorm's touch had provided her with more than enough, essentially acting as a battery.

The problem was artificially replicating Deathstorm's exothermic reaction. She wasn't an engineer, but Cisco had taught her a few things. Anything with the capability to create heat from fission or fusion would be too large to integrate into a suit. The only exception was an aqueous homogeneous reactor, which could be millimeters in length while still producing energy, but the nuclear material it required would be dangerous.

When they had first met, Jay - Hunter - had told her that he had been trying to purify heavy water without residual radiation, but he never mentioned completing his work.

She almost laughed out loud when she realized what she was thinking. Hunter had lied about everything. He wasn't hit by dark matter while working in his lab. It happened during one of his electroshock sessions at a mental institution.

Still, he chose to lie about heavy water, and he was too intelligent to put himself in a position where his deception could be uncovered. He must have extensive knowledge and experience on the topic. He had also demonstrated his background in applied physics and chemistry, though she couldn't imagine how he managed to be both a brilliant scientist and a serial killer.

 _'Scientist' and 'killer' aren't mutually exclusive terms._

Despite Earth-2's scientific advancements, there was a fundamental lack of understanding on topics like the abnormal psychology of serial killers. From what Wells had shown her, there was no delineation between spree and serial killers here, nor was there any associated criminal profiling patterns. Nothing she read indicated that Earth-2 psychologists factored in or even identified stressors or triggers.

She tried to piece what little truth she had about Hunter together in a coherent narrative. He obtained higher education in chemistry and physics and gone on to a career in research. Sometime in his adult life, he experienced a stressor that triggered his serial murders. He killed for three years, the last of which contained a rapid devolution, eventually resulting in his capture.

Caitlin closed her eyes for a moment. She kept obsessing about Hunter's history, hoping to find some foible to prove that the man she had fallen in love with wasn't a cold-blooded killer. Jay had been too convincing. Hunter was probably a calculating, intelligent psychopath, rather than a sociopath with self-control. That made the likelihood of him having a real attachment to her very, very low, and if he didn't have a true emotional investment in her or their 'relationship' - or whatever the hell this was - then her chances of survival were pretty slim.

 _Escape. Don't trust him. He'll use you and kill you. His 'love' is nothing more than a psychopath's manipulation. He's clever. He wants you to think you have leverage. You think you can dupe him long enough to find a way to escape, but you're wrong. He's an intelligent psychopath. As soon as you've done whatever it is he wants, he'll dispose of you._

The thought hit her in a rush, and for some reason, even though she had considered the possibility before, she couldn't shake it from her mind this time. It kept repeating. This wasn't just fear; this was panic.

 _Don't wait until he decides he's done with you._

Caitlin knew, objectively, that attempting to escape now was a bad idea. She also was aware that whatever he wanted from her wouldn't be done today, yet the sense of impending doom spurred her relentlessly forward.

 _RUN!_

She gathered everything she needed to free Killer Frost from the carbyne. She hated acting on impulse, yet she pressed on like her life depended on it.

 _Because it does!_

"What took so long?" Frost demanded.

"We're getting the hell out of here," Caitlin replied. "Now."

Even as she set up cables and clamps, she recognized that this was a horrible plan, but she couldn't stop. If she did, the panic roaring within would consume her. She had to do this. She _had_ to. She was ready to flip the switch and close the circuit when the other cell caught her attention.

The person inside was frantically tapping on the wall. How had she not heard that a few seconds ago? A metal mask obscured his - she concluded that it was a man given build, height, and hand size - face, and he wore something akin to a prison jumpsuit, which had once been green but had long-since faded to gray. The rips and thin spots indicated that he had been wearing it for a very long time.

"Can you speak?" she asked.

He knocked on the cell wall five times, then four.

"That one doesn't talk," Frost said loudly.

The man in the mask put his palm flat against the wall, spreading his fingers out, and though she couldn't see his face, she saw his eyes. They were full of resignation and sadness with the faintest glimmer of hope. She couldn't look away. She put her hand over his, hoping it would provide some kind of comfort, even though he couldn't possibly feel anything through the carbyne.

"Uh, hello?" Frost yelled. "What happened to us getting out of here?"

What the hell had she been thinking? Even if Frost elected not to kill her, she'd absorb all the heat, dropping the temperature of the cave to below freezing. She'd be better off descending the cliffs herself, yet she had fixated on freeing her doppelganger.

"Caitlin Snow, space cadet," Frost said still trying to win her attention. "You're just a big tease with these toys, aren't you?"

The man in the iron mask nodded to her, as if giving her permission to turn around and face her doppelganger, so she did.

"Don't worry, this will work," Caitlin replied. "But I can't free you until I've found an appropriate heat source."

"You're a smart cookie."

Pain erupted across Caitlin's upper back as something propelled her forward. She didn't have time to break her fall, but she managed to turn sideways so when she crashed hard to the cavern floor it was her left side that hit first rather than her face. It also prevented her from hitting her head.

"Just not smart enough," Frost added with a gleeful smile.

The pain was substantial, and she could only hope that surprise was to blame because she didn't have time to assess her injures. She rolled onto her stomach to get her feet under her, though her left side protested with a throbbing ache that radiated down her leg and up her torso.

Before she got to her feet, she caught sight of her attacker as he flipped the switch next to Frost's cell. Electricity roared, and Caitlin decided to take advantage of the distraction. She kept low to the ground in a crouch, allowing the miscellaneous contents of the cavern to hide her from direct view. Her leg was shaky but didn't slow her down.

The sound of glass shattering ended the roaring of the electricity.

Then the temperature plummeted.

Caitlin ran for the lab. It was the only place she had a chance of defending herself from the attacker and Frost's impact on the climate.

She didn't make it very far before somebody grabbed her and spun her around. She was face-to-face with a weedy man in his sixties. He had a blank expression on his face. His grip on her right arm was bruising.

"How?!" he asked. He sounded like a robot with the volume turned up too high. "How did you fight me?!"

"Let go of me!" she shouted as she stepped back and yanked her arm free.

"How?" the man repeated. "Tell me!"

Caitlin tried to run, but he blocked her path, trialing yellow lighting as he zipped in front of her.

She was now caught between the mysterious speedster and Killer Frost as the cold began to dig into her. When she exhaled, her breath produced a mist.

The speedster tried to rush her, but he slipped and fell when ice appeared under his feet.

"Run if you wanna live, Caitlin!" Frost bellowed.

And she did. By the time she was halfway to the lab, the cold had slowed her down to a stumbling power-walk, indicating mild hypothermia. The man's screams added to her disorientation as it echoed endlessly through the whole cavern. She pushed herself, but her lunges ached with every breath, and with her declining heart rate and uncontrolled shivering, it became increasingly difficult to lift her legs.

She braced herself against the cave wall for support. She cried out as the frigid rock sapped her hands of what little warmth they had, stopping her in her tracks. She couldn't keep her feet under her, so if she pulled away from the wall, she'd collapse. Her teeth chattered as she moved as fast as she possibly could, holding herself upright so she could swing one heavy leg forward. And then the other. And the other. Moving her hands became more and more difficult, and she dreaded the idea of pressing her forearms against the unforgiving stone.

She let herself come closer to the wall, ready for the splintering pain to spread to the rest of her arms, but then her nerve failed her. She staggered away at the last second and made it a little farther before collapsing. The lab door was only a few yards away, but she couldn't get back to her feet. All the fight inside of her crumbled; she was too cold and too tired.

She vaguely registered her fatigue as a sign of moderate hypothermia, so she curled up to conserve heat. Even if she made it those last few steps to the lab, closing the door wasn't enough to insulate that room from Frost's absorption. Even with the climate control, it was probably just as cold in there as it was out here. Then what would she do? Start a fire? If it kept her alive long enough, she'd die of smoke inhalation because of the limited ventilation.

It didn't matter. She was fast-approaching severe hypothermia, assuming she wasn't there already.

 _So this is how I die? Freezing to death in a madman's dungeon?_

 _Cisco would've called it a 'lair.'_

Though her head was tucked into her arms, she imagined Cisco right next to her, correcting her villain terminology. Had she been able to feel her lips, it would've brought a smile to her face.

 _Wells would've rolled his eyes, but the next time he spoke about it, he'd've called it a lair. And every time after, too._

She choked. It was something between a laugh and a cry, both of which she was too-far-gone to indulge in.

 _God, I miss them all. Has it really only been one day without them?_

Logically, it had only been a few minutes at most since the stranger attacked, but it felt like eons. Soon she would fall into unconsciousness, and not long after, she'd die.

Caitlin always thought she'd be terrified when this moment came; instead, her impending death inspired something comparable to relief.

 _What about Cisco, Wells, and Barry? All of them - Iris, Joe, Wally, Jesse - they'll never know what happened to you._

The plunge into the unknown of death was far less frightening to her than spending the foreseeable future as Zoom's captive. Succumbing to the cold meant she'd escape the unimaginable horror of succumbing to Zoom, becoming _his_ , loving the monster who terrorized this earth and her own.

 _You'll never see any of them them again._

That hurt. It hurt more than her crash to the ground, more than the bitterness of hearing 'I love you' from Hunter, more than the grief and anger of his betrayal. The thought of never seeing her friends again hurt more than dying.

 _Don't give up. They wouldn't._

Unfortunately, her only hope of survival was rescue by Zoom, and she doubted that he knew the protocol for stabilizing and reheating people with acute hypothermia.

 _Ventricular fibrillation._

If he did return before her internal organs failed, his first instinct would likely be to move her somewhere warmer, and transportation by super-speed during even moderate hypothermia would put her at a high risk of life-threatening heart complications.

She fumbled through her pockets and found a marker but no paper. So she pressed hard into her skin, and with the last of her strength, scribed the message that would save her life.

* * *

Hunter made it back to the Roost in less than a minute after the alarm. He felt the temperature drop before he ascended. Killer Frost was free.

If she had harmed Caitlin, he would annihilate her.

 _Contain her first._

Restraint was never his strong suit.

 _Killing her won't guarantee the temperature will return to normal. It might do just the opposite._

More than one powered person had gone critical postmortem. Deathstorm's demise would've resulted in a nuclear explosion had it not been for Reverb's Quantum Splicer. As much as he wanted to snap Frost's neck, it could trigger another catastrophic temperature drop.

Hunter _loathed_ rationality, but he couldn't ignore it.

He raced into the cavern, the freezing temperature straining his speed. Frost's former cell was shattered, and there was someone in her hands. Someone frozen.

Hunter zipped passed her and gave her a glancing blow to the head, knocking her out. Relief washed over him when he saw that the icy statue had been an older man.

Caitlin had gotten away.

In the blink of an eye, he swapped the man in the iron mask for Frost. The only way to contain her powers was with carbyne walls. He dragged his prized prisoner into the barred cell, throwing him onto the mat and blankets normally reserved for his human captives.

 _"You try anything, and you will regret it,"_ Zoom announced after he secured the bars.

 _Get to Caitlin._

Hunter had already wasted too much time. She had gotten away, but she could've been injured. And she definitely wouldn't survive in here long even with the temperature rebound. It would take hours at least; she didn't have that kind of time.

Hunter removed his mask and ran to the lab. He found her on the ground outside the door, sitting with her knees tucked in and her arms folded over herself.

She wasn't moving.

He could have her to a medical facility in under a minute, but when he reached down to pick her up, he saw something scrawled across her left forearm.

DON'T RUN ME.

The letters were shaky but clear enough. On one hand, it was a good sign. She trusted him to find and read the message. On the other hand, he wasn't a physician, and he didn't understand why he shouldn't speed her somewhere warmer.

 _She trusted you, so return the damn favor. Warm her up without super-speed._

Hunter gingerly lifted her and carried her into the lab. It felt like an eternity between the door and the cot, but he walked, careful not to jostle her.

He knew warming the core was important, but he didn't have heating pads or anything like that in the lab. He collected every cover, happily surprised when he found a thermal blanket in one of the first aid kits. He was back at her side in the blink of an eye, just in time to see her eyes flutter open.

An unfamiliar sensation passed through him.

 _It's relief. She's still alive._

"You're going to be all right," he said.

Then he covered her with blankets, layering them one over the other, tucking in the larger sheets so that she was wrapped up.

"H-h-heat," she said through chattering teeth. "M-m-more heat."

She wasn't going to like it, but his body heat was the only safe option.

He stripped off the top half of his suit. Then he carefully rolled her on her left side, pulling up the layered blankets and joining her on the too-small cot. He brought her flush against him as his arms circled around her.

She was _freezing_ to the touch. Every nerve in his body told him to pull away, but he didn't. He put his head over hers, enveloping her as much as possible. She didn't move. Was that normal? Had she fallen asleep or become unconscious?

She remained still against him for what felt like a very, very long time. Under other circumstances, this situation would've been highly desirable, but now he only felt an all-too-familiar sense of dread. All he could do was focus on her breathing.

 _She's still breathing._

He was selfish, and it never bothered him before. But now? Caitlin was only here because he wanted her in his life. He told her he'd protect her, yet hours after that promise, here, she was in mortal danger.

 _You should've been here._

Would she experience long-term complications? What would happen if she didn't recover? What would he do if she died?

 _She's still breathing._

Anger flared inside him. Caitlin shouldn't have let Killer Frost out of her cell. She was a smart girl, yet she ignored his warnings. Was it just to spite him? If she'd done this just to get back at him, he'd... he'd...

 _Be too happy she's okay to care about any of that._

This must be what other peoples' lives were like. Full of the kind of fear and doubt that fueled too many emotions. He wanted nothing more than to provide Killer Frost with a particularly unpleasant demise and yell at Caitlin for making such a stupid, stupid mistake.

But he'd forego those things if she'd just open her eyes. That's all he required to know that she wasn't... to know that she'd be all right. Then he'd have the chance to ask her, calmly, why she'd done something so foolish.

 _And beg her not to do it again._

Then Caitlin shifted, and his entire body relaxed, like he'd been holding his breath, waiting for her to be okay. It only lasted a second, though, before he remembered that she would not be pleased by this arrangement.

He heard a ragged breath and muttering, but he couldn't see her face or make out what she was trying to say.

 _No need. You already know what she's saying._

"Hate me later," he said quietly. "For now, just get warm."

"Thank y-you," she replied hoarsely.

He resisted the urge to squeeze her closer, to touch her, to kiss her. He was a patient man, after all.

* * *

 _Hunter rescued you._

That was her first thought when she woke. He had been standing next to her when she opened her eyes. What struck her was the concern - no, the fear - on his face. It took him a moment to register that her eyes were opened, then something that looked a lot like relief flooded over him.

 _You're imagining it. It's all an act._

He told her she would be all right before piling on layers, but she had lost a lot of body heat and not eaten much that day. Insulation alone wouldn't be enough. She needed something like heated IV fluids or oxygen to raise her core body temperature.

 _Tell him._

The fog of fatigue made it hard to think, but she forced her eyes open. She didn't have much energy left, and her teeth were chattering.

She spoke anyway. "H-h-heat... M-m-more heat."

That was all she could get out before her eyes closed of their own accord, and the muddled blackness of partial unconsciousness took hold of her.

She came back to her senses, seconds or minutes later, she couldn't tell, but she felt warmer. At least, that was the only explanation she had for the immense discomfort. Everything ached as sensation returned to her limbs, and for a little while, that was all she noticed.

Then she realized she was on her side rather than supine, and...

 _Oh God._

Of course. Either he didn't have a heating blanket, or he gladly accepted any excuse to touch her. His shirt was off, though she could feel the texture of his suit against her legs, so he must have his pants on at least. She ached, and now she was pissed off.

 _Unless this was the only thing he could do._

She resented her own sensibility. She wanted to kick, scream, and shove him away. She had the urge to tell him how much he repulsed her, how much she hated the fact that she'd fallen in love with his persona.

But now wasn't the time.

She tried to speak, to tell him that there was enough heat under the blankets now, but she was too tired. She must've mumbled something, though, because he replied as if he'd heard what she'd been thinking.

"Hate me later. For now, just get warm."

 _Play along._

She mustered her energy and replied, "Thank y-you."

The words were bitter, and her throat was hoarse. But she reminded herself it was necessary. She needed him to think that she trusted him.

Rage burned inside her, a destructive ember that made her no warmer. How could she keep up this act? She wasn't Hunter. She was a terrible liar. She hadn't asked for any of this. The man who had just saved her life was responsible for so much death and destruction, it would've been better if Killer Frost had killed her.

 _No, it wouldn't._

She didn't want to die, but she couldn't stand the thought of spending her foreseeable future with Hunter.

 _Pretend he's Jay._

Her stomach dropped at the thought. It was a terrible idea for so many reasons, not the least of which was that it might actually work. If she could pretend Hunter was Jay, the man from another universe who stole her heart in a flash, then she could let herself feel again. It might even help her lie to him.

But she loved Jay. She was - or had been - in love with him. What if she still was? She had been remembering him as Jay because part of her wanted to protect the good memories, even though they were a lie.

 _Pretend he's Jay._

If she was still in love with Jay, would that mean she'd be in love with Hunter?

 _Don't love him. Just pretend. Just get through this._

That settled her thoughts. The idea of pretending Hunter was Jay was too much, but she could lie to herself for the next few hours to speed her recovery. That would be a start, anyway.

So she invented a story. While Barry assisted the police on a meta-investigation, she and Jay fought to save a metahuman who needed to absorb heat constantly to survive. Cisco designed a suit that would contain a continuous exothermic reaction devised by Wells. The meta put it on, and it worked. But there was a malfunction, and they nearly froze before Jay was able to fix it. Cisco and Harry had wandered off to his workshop in search of something Cisco kept calling 'the matchbook.' Jay tugged her in the opposite direction toward one of the empty residential rooms so they could warm up together.

And that where she was right now. Inside the STAR Labs on Earth-1, curled up with her hero, with everyone else she loved nearby. No doubt they'd be along soon to check on them, and she couldn't help but smile when she imagined the comment Cisco would make when he walked in on them.

She felt content and safe, and soon she fell into a deep, restful slumber. 

* * *

**Three months ago, in February...** Caitlin watched Jay sleep. She had promised she'd wake him as soon as she got to his apartment, but the image of his body at rest transfixed her.

Something had been burdening him lately. He hid it from Cisco and the others, but she saw it. She saw it in his stride and his posture. She saw it in the moments when he - thinking that nobody was looking - let his veneer falter.

She even saw it while he slept.

She had thought he was struggling to adjust to a life without his speed, but something told her it went deeper than that. Was he trying to be strong? Or was he hiding things from her?

Jay's eyes abruptly snapped open, wide with panic, and gasping and panting as if he'd been running. His face contorted in terror as he sat up and his hands fisted the sheets.

"Jay?"

He didn't respond, and he seemed disoriented. So she went to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge, facing him. He closed his eyes and retreated inside.

"Jay?" she repeated.

She took his hand and waited.

Finally, he asked, "Caitlin? When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," she replied. "Are you all right?"

"Just a bad dream," he grunted.

"Jay, I saw. That was more than just a dream."

"Caitlin, there must be a hundred more important things we can talk about."

"Not right now," she replied. "Right now, this is the most important thing."

"They're nightmares. I've had them for my entire life. After the coma, they got worse. Talking about them doesn't stop them."

"For the last two weeks, something has been eating away at you," she replied. "If not the nightmares, then what?"

"Caitlin..."

"You can tell me anything," she said. "You should tell me everything."

He sat back against the headboard and cast his eyes up to the ceiling. He definitely didn't want to talk about this.

He avoided eye contact when he said, "You were a speedster. In my dream. Both of us, we were speedsters on Earth-2. Working together to protect Central City. Then Zoom came. At first he wanted our speed, but when he found out you were a woman, he fell in love - I mean, became obsessed - with you, and... please don't make me tell you the rest, Cait."

He didn't have to say any more. The agony on his face made it all too clear.

"Look at me, Jay. I'm right here. I'm fine."

The pain and sadness in his eyes crushed her.

"Every night, you disappear in a blur of blue lightning," he continued. "And I know I won't see you again. That's when I wake up. That's how I've been waking up, scared that I'll never see you again. I know I've been dreaming, but it feels so real. The only thing keeping me together is that you've been with me every time. I could feel you, see you. You were real. And here. With me."

"You don't feel any better telling me, do you?"

He shook his head, no.

"Maybe you need to forget," she suggested. "Put it all out of your mind."

"Easier said than done."

She took him by surprise with a kiss. His hands came up around her back as he recovered, and he quickly turned the tables on her, deepening the kiss and taking her breath away.

"Hmmmmm," he said when they broke apart. "What were we talking about?"

Caitlin didn't reply. She stood up and threw the covers off. He was only wearing boxers and a nightshirt, the fabric fitting the contours of his body perfectly. She stepped out of her dress so she was in nothing but her underwear, and she felt a surge of pride as Jay groaned at the sight of her.

She was going to make him forget every nightmare and every what-if horror scenario inside of that head of his.

"Cait?"

"I'm real. I'm here," she said. "With you." 

* * *

**Here and now...** Caitlin woke up to the sunlight streaming into her room. She was elated.

She sat up in a four-poster bed and noticed the softness of the sheets caressing her skin. She was inside a luxurious but simple bedroom that had floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed a stretch of coast not ten yards away. It was an incredible view, and she didn't have to get out of bed to see it.

There was something off about the sunlight, yet the sky was clear. Then she noticed that it wasn't just the sun. Everything had an altered palette.

As she gradually came out of the fog of sleep, she realized she couldn't remember coming here or climbing into this bed. In fact, she was having a hard time recalling anything more than curling up with Jay...

 _Earth-2. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

Then everything came back to her in a full-force cascade: Zoom abducting her, Killer Frost, nearly dying of hypothermia, Hunter's body around hers.

She felt miserable and sick to her stomach. So sick, in fact, her body wretched, making her thankful that she had eaten only granola bars the day previous.

She was in the same clothes as yesterday, minus her shoes, which were by the door. Hunter must've moved her here sometime last night while she slept. Knowing him, he probably marooned her on an island.

Caitlin got out of bed and examined her surroundings, not allowing herself to get swept up in their beauty. The room was nearly empty except for the bed and nightstand. The closet had a bureau with clothing, all of which was like new, in her size, and washed with her favorite detergent, which explained why they felt so familiar. The scent reminded her of home.

 _Don't wear them._

No doubt Hunter stole them, and even if he didn't, he would expect some kind of acknowledgement from her.

 _He's not getting a thank you._

Unfortunately, she had been wearing the same clothes for two days, and they hadn't faired well. The odor they had wasn't unpleasant, but there was something about it she couldn't place.

 _They smell like him._

Jay - no, Hunter - had a distinctive scent. Not unpleasant, but strong, especially when he wasn't wearing aftershave or cologne. It must've gotten all over her clothing when he crawled into bed to warm her up. She wished she was disgusted by it, but her mind associated it with waking up happy, tangled up in the arms of the man she had loved.

Still loved.

She bit her lip. The last time she had spent this long deciding what to wear, she had been preparing for a date with Jay.

She hated that he permeated her thoughts. It felt like she couldn't take a breath without him crossing her mind, and every time that happened, he brought anger, self-loathing, happiness, grief, and a hundred other things she couldn't filter through.

Caitlin pushed her thoughts away and focused on what she could handle: getting dressed. She considered her options. She could either wear the clothing he provided or smell him on herself all day.

 _He wins either way._

She found herself following her morning routine: making the bed, selecting what to wear and laying it out on the bed. She stepped out of the room and found the bathroom immediately. It was ridiculously large with a deep tub and separate shower, and there were piles of fluffy towels stacked neatly on shelves. The soap and hair products she used were exactly where they were in her bathroom at home. He had even left the same brand and style of toothbrush.

 _He remembered that you're persnickety about certain things._

Caitlin was suddenly overwhelmed by her circumstances. She flushed red as her eyes pricked with unshed tears, but she wouldn't cry. She was not going to let the anxiety and frustration get to her. She was going to brush her teeth, take a shower, and get dressed like she did every morning.

She unceremoniously stripped off her clothes, tossing them into a small pile on the floor.

That was when she noticed the bruises. One was above her left hip. It was a deep, deep blue with radiating purple that stretched up her torso and down her leg. She remembered the hard fall she'd taken the day before. There were also four large, round marks on her right forearm from where the man who had attacked her had latched on.

She went to the shower, determined to put it all behind her, but she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Nearly her entire left side was black, blue, or red, and the thing that stood out the most was the writing on her arm: DON'T RUN ME.

The marker had hardly faded. She turned on the water and stepped in as soon as it was warm enough. She would get through this. She could do this. She could do this.

 _"I brought you here to protect you... The truth is, I looked at her and saw your face, and I couldn't kill her. Is that what you wanted to hear, Caitlin?"_

Hunter's voice popped into her head, the memories from the past two days blurring together. She closed her eyes, trying to escape his words, but her mind conjured up Killer Frost in her cell, followed by the worst crime scene photos of her victims.

She gasped, fighting the tears that threatened to spill out of her. For a moment, it felt as if someone had grabbed her right arm, and she panicked. It took her a moment to recognize that it was a visceral memory of her attacker gripped her.

Then she remembered the fear she'd felt when the glass shattered and Killer Frost was free. The memory of collapsing not far from the lab and genuinely believing that dying was her best option followed, dragging her down, down, and down. She had fought to live on the ridiculous hope that surviving meant she'd see her friends again.

But now that the hypothermia was gone, she saw that hope for what it was: delusion. The only speedster in either universe was Zoom, and he'd never take her home. She could fight him, but sooner or later, he'd take what he wanted, one way or another. She was never going home.

A few weeks ago, she had been in love with a hero, only to have him ripped away, killed right in front of her. From the moment that portal closed, the only thing she wanted was to be with him again. There was more than one night that she had muttered into her tear-soaked pillow that she'd give anything to have Jay back. She wished - no, she begged whatever powers that existed - that he'd come back to her.

And, fuck, he did.

The sob snuck up on her, and she couldn't hold it back anymore.

Why did it have to be her? Why did she fall in love with a monster? Why was she stranded in the wrong universe?

 _"Because I know you, Caitlin... You're here because I love you... I am a very patient man."_

His voice filled her head again, and she became completely overwhelmed. The tears flowed in earnest, and once she started, she couldn't stop. So she cried until those tears dried up, long after the hot water ran out.

She dried herself with one of the towels. She was spent, exhausted. She usually felt better after crying, but this time, she felt drained.

Caitlin returned to the room, and she briefly contemplated crawling back into bed to avoid the world. But her stomach ached. She needed to eat a real meal, so she dressed.

She checked the upstairs first. It had three other bedrooms, all roughly the same size, and the one bathroom. When she descended the stairs, she stepped into a huge, open layout that also had floor-to-ceiling windows.

Wherever she was, it was beautiful.

"You're awake."

His voice came from behind her, and its effect was immediate. She tensed up, her heart raced, and her mouth went dry.

"Caitlin?" Hunter said.

"Where are we?" she asked without turning around.

"A tiny island a few miles off the coast of California," he replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"You must be hungry. Would you join me for breakfast?"

When she didn't reply, he came closer and continued, "Join me. We have a lot to discuss."

 _It's not like you can outrun him._

There was nothing for it, so she turned to face him. He was wearing dark trousers and a sleeveless undershirt.

She had seen him like this a hundred times before, and it pulled her apart. The fear and anger from his lies made her want to obliterate him. The familiarity, the comfort of the known, made her yearn for Jay, and she despised herself for it. She hated the fact that he tempted her almost as much as the fact that she had no way to hurt him. Not really.

 _One foot in front of the other._

Caitlin nodded her head, yes. Then she followed him into the kitchen-dining room. The table was set with pancakes, syrup, and butter. Her favorite non-granola breakfast.

He pulled out her chair for her, like a perfect gentleman, but she hesitated. In this beautiful house full of sunlight, dressed in regular clothing, holding out her chair, all she could see was Jay.

 _There was never any Jay. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

"You look scared," he said, jolting her from her thoughts. "Don't be. I know you weren't the one who freed Killer Frost."

She sat down, and he sat opposite her.

"Is she... what happened to her?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"She's been contained," he replied as if he was commenting on the weather. "And alive, if that's what you're asking."

The relief she felt relaxed her slightly. She reached for her utensils and began buttering her pancakes to distract herself. He followed suit. He'd been waiting on her.

"I haven't decided what to do with her yet," he continued.

"You said you'd let her live, let her go," Caitlin reminded him. "You gave me your word."

"That was before she nearly killed you."

"She saved me," she blurted.

"I saved you," he replied. "You were ice cold when I found you."

"She could've drained all the heat from my body," Caitlin said quickly. "She attacked the man who freed her even though I was closer. He came at me, and she stopped him. Then she told me to run."

She had a hard time chewing, her mouth was so dry, but she ate, doing her best to keep her hands busy as she waited for his reply.

Something dark passed over his features before he turned away. He clenched his jaw and audibly inhaled before looking back, and whatever it was had gone.

 _He's made up his mind._

"What do you suggest?" he asked.

"I, uh... I don't know," she replied. "Once I find a way to compensate for her energy imbalance..."

 _What? Let her go? She's murdered a lot of people, and not by accident._

"Then turn her over to the police?" she suggested.

"The police? They aren't equipped to deal with powered people, not on this earth," he replied. "If she doesn't escape, they'll turn her over to the only people who can. The MTU. I can't allow that."

"I thought the DOD commissioned STAR Labs to create metahuman prison cells."

"They did," he explained. "There are a dozen meta-containment units at Iron Heights, but they're all empty. Metahumans captured by law enforcement are held at black sites controlled by the MTU, regardless of their crimes."

"Like the pipeline," she said quietly.

It bothered her that her team hadn't found a better way to handle dangerous metahumans on her earth, but locking them away was better than killing them.

"It's nothing like your meta-prison," Hunter said gruffly.

That was when the idea hit her.

"The pipeline," she said. "You could take her across the breach and lock her in the pipeline on Earth-1."

"Interesting," he mused.

It sounded like he actually meant it, like he was really considering it as an option.

 _Give him another push._

"No one from Earth-2 would be able to capture her," she continued. "And she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone."

"She wouldn't be able to hurt anybody if she was dead," he countered.

"People say the same thing about you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Everything was so familiar, so Jay-like, that she'd forgotten who she was speaking with. She shoveled a few more bites into her mouth to hide her alarm.

Then he laughed. Not his dark chuckle, but the laugh she'd heard after he told her they had whatever-he'd-just-asked-about on Earth-2 as well. The laugh that warmed her chest. He looked entertained.

"Once you've resolved her heat absorption issue, I'll lock her in the pipeline on Earth-1," he said.

She continued eating, even though she had no appetite. Having something to do made it easier to stay calm as silence settled between them.

A question nagged her.

"What's the MTU?" she asked. "Is there an Earth-1 equivalent?"

Hunter was pleased by her question. That was a bad sign.

"As far as I can tell, there isn't one," he replied. "The MTU is a fully-funded branch of the DOD. The party line is that they're searching for a cure, a way to de-activate the meta-gene, but that's been a thin front from the beginning. Their real goal is to weaponize metahumans."

"Both ARGUS and the US Army tried that on my earth," she said. "ARGUS shut down those programs, and the US Army hasn't pursued it since General Eiling..."

Cisco had been keeping tabs on Eiling and his cohorts with the help of Felicity Smoak and Lyla Diggle, so they knew his superiors had given up on his quest for metahuman soldiers. For now. But they had gone after Firestorm, Plastique, and the Flash.

Eiling had used weaponized phosphorous on Barry.

"Caitlin?"

"I, uh, had an idea about a non-nuclear power source that could keep Frost warm," she replied. "But the delivery device would need to be air-tight to prevent diphosphorous pentoxide from becoming phosphoric acid."

"You want to use white phosphorous?"

"It's safer than heavy water," she replied. "But an entire suit would be too dangerous..."

"Actually, a suit could work," he said. "We could apply a container molecule to the white phosphorous, so it will only burn when a signaling agent is applied. Something like that would take me less than a day."

"You?" she repeated.

"Me," he replied. "I'll deal with the suit. I've something planned for you today, and it can't wait."

 _Planned? That can't be good._

"Planned?" she repeated.

He smiled, but it was all teeth and smugness.

 _Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

"I'm impressed," he replied. "You sit here, eating with me, doing your best to act like nothing's changed. It can't be easy for you."

She bit her tongue.

"I know you think I have ulterior motives for bringing you here," he continued. "I don't."

"That's hard to believe," she said through gritted teeth.

"Time will tell. Unfortunately, that's the one thing we don't have. You need to know what's going on. Now. So I've tasked an associate to get you up to speed."

"Associate? You mean one of your followers? Why would I trust them?"

"Maybe you won't," he replied as he stood up. "But I think you will."

She didn't like the confidence in his voice.

He rinsed off his dishes and put them in the dishwasher before coming back to the table.

"Promise me you won't leave this island."

"Fine."

"Caitlin?"

"I promise I won't leave the island," she said automatically.

He put his hand on her shoulder, and she fought the urge to tense up and failed. He squeezed lightly - a sign of affection Jay had favored before their first kiss - before walking out of the kitchen.

"I'll be home before nightfall," he said from the other room. "When you're ready, head down to the basement."

He didn't speed out like Zoom. He strolled out. She heard a door open and close - probably him leaving the house - _walking_. What the hell was that about?

Did he expect her to live like this? To wait 'at home,' stranded on some island? And what was in the basement?

 _Keep playing along for now._

That was all she could do. So she cleaned up her plate and utensils and dropped them in the dishwasher. She'd go for a walk to see how big the island was, and then she'd search the house for something to arm herself with.

Then, and only then, would she descend into the basement.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, The Hearth Stones, comes from the Mayan name for Orion's belt, Oxib X'kub', which translates to 'the three stones of the hearth.'

 **Author's note** : Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out, but I wound up expanding it. Originally, I thought this would be a ten-chapter work, but the new outline expands it to fifteen. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm working on the next, but I have to travel for work this coming week so I'm not sure how much writing I'll get done.


	5. Bellatrix

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Additional content warning** : This chapter contains dark content about human experimentation, including medical experiments done on a child.

 **Chapter summary** : Zoom makes arrangements to steal from Palmer Technologies despite the recent upsurge in vigilantes in Star City. Caitlin explores the island before meeting Totem, who leads her to a place called the Comet.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**  
 **Bellatrix**

* * *

Hunter required a number of components for the suit Caitlin described, so he left the island for Star City. Normally, he'd raid STAR Labs, but in this case, only Palmer Technologies had the requisite materials.

It was a shame, really. The extra thousand miles would've done him some good.

Running was one of the very few things that gave him - for lack of a better word - joy. Of course, he found enjoyment in many activities, but running was different. When he ran, he felt euphoric and unstoppable, and when his frustration wouldn't abate, it was his only remedy.

He found power - and, rarely, solace - in killing. He relished the sense of control it gave him. He'd met other killers, and nearly all of them savored watching the light drain from their victims' eyes.

He never understood the appeal, not after witnessing his mother's life evaporate from this world. For him, the best part - the part worth cherishing - was the expression on his victim's face. It was always some combination of shock, agony, and terror, yet each one was so unique, so telling of the individual. It gave him a rush and relief, but as exhilarating as it was, it fizzled out rapidly, leaving him spent, empty, and desperately wanting his next reprieve. Before he became Zoom, he was driven to the next kill sooner and sooner, and eventually, he was so strung out that he didn't care if it was done right. He got sloppy, and then he got caught.

But running with super-speed? That was the only thing that made him feel something that never burned out and never faded away.

 _Not the only thing. Not anymore._

Hunter had had relationships before Caitlin. He never had trouble attracting partners, but the emotional connections had always been a problem for him. He wasn't incapable. Far from it. But after years of people manipulating him, he saw his feelings as puppet strings, and he learned not to share them with anybody. Doing so had always given that person a power over him that he couldn't take back.

 _But you don't want to take it back. Not from Caitlin._

His analytical mind acknowledged that Caitlin occupied a large portion of his time and energy, and once their relationship became full-fledged, it would consume even more. She provided neither power nor leverage; in all logical respects, she was nothing but a weakness. Bringing her here on a whim up-ended weeks of preparation and forced him to come up with a plan specifically for her, which would set him even further off track. He was, after all, spending an entire day on a project just to keep his promise to her.

He was acutely aware that Caitlin was a stumbling block, yet Hunter could no more abandon her than his super-speed.

 _There isn't a future without her._

Seeing her in a room was like racing across the desert; he felt an energizing boost that made him feel like he was cheating death. Her mood influenced his. He knew it, and so did she. How many times could she have used that to her own ends? Yet she never had.

 _Caitlin is trustworthy._

Thinking about her made his heart race.

And he'd nearly lost her. It was infuriating and terrifying, but all he could do was put on a neutral face and protect her better.

That, and destroy whoever sent that meta into his lair, given that Killer Frost was off limits for the time being.

Nearly losing her only confirmed that she was absolutely vital. No matter how foolish it was, he loved her, and he wouldn't be without her.

 _Even if it makes her miserable._

He'd find a way to make her happy. He was a patient man, and he had nothing but time.

Hunter only wished she wasn't so fragile. He dreamed of her gaining powers. Not like Killer Frost, who had none of Caitlin's wit or passion. No, she deserved meta-healing or the ability to create force fields. Sometimes he fantasized about making her a speedster, finding some other Flash on another world and stealing that speed for her. She'd have the regeneration and healing powers provided by the SpeedForce and be fast enough to outrun any danger.

 _Except for you._

He was torn. The idea of having her powerful and at his side was both thrilling and petrifying. He didn't want her fighting on the front lines. It was too dangerous. It would make her a target for the MTU. More than that, he had no interest in making her like him.

Well, maybe he'd like her to be a little more like him, but just enough for her to accept her love for him.

 _She'll never do that._

He shook it off. He needed a clear head to break into Palmer Technologies.

Ever since he unmasked Robert Queen as the Hood, wannabe vigilantes inundated Star City. Most had been injured or killed, yet half a dozen remained active. One of them was an incredibly skilled - and very annoying - hacker. A few weeks ago, said hacker had blown the cover of a metahuman named Blink, by reporting Blink's otherwise unnoticed medical supply thefts by publishing internal surveillance before the thief had a chance to wipe it.

Blink was too good to have her power caught on camera, but one picture of her face brought the MTU down hard on Star City, all because of one hacking vigilante. Hunter had to learn from Blink's mistake. He couldn't risk that kind of exposure.

Not that anyone would dare come after Zoom, but if anyone knew what he was stealing, they might discover why he took it and what he was doing.

 _And that might take them down a path that leads straight to Caitlin._

He wouldn't let that happen. He'd pilfer what he needed and take it to one of his labs in Coast City. He was going to show Caitlin that he could keep his word, that she could trust him. This was his first step. 

* * *

**About six months ago, in November...** Jay had ignored his phone for the past few days, hoping it would get easier the next time it rang.

It never did.

He wanted to speak with Caitlin. A few nights ago, when Barry said he was going ahead with Wells's idiotic plan to lure Zoom, he made a scene storming out of STAR Labs. As he made his way home, he decided he'd never go back there.

But he couldn't stop thinking about Caitlin.

In the days since, he resisted the urge to return her calls, but it took nearly all his willpower. He was drawn to her, her beauty and her strength. She had connected with him, told him that living a different life didn't mean it had to be a worse one. Unlike everyone else who had expressed the same sentiment, she spoke from a place of experience. A very recent experience. She was still trying to find how to live after losing her husband.

And it was enough to make him wonder if he needed his speed.

Jay reminded himself that their relationship couldn't go anywhere. They were from different universes. It wasn't meant to be.

Yet, every time the phone rang, a little bit of his resolve disappeared. And after hearing the news of Zoom dragging a bruised and beaten Flash around Central City, he buckled. The next time she called, he picked up on the first ring.

"Caitlin?" he answered.

"Jay?" she replied, startled. "I didn't think I'd get you."

"I know, I'm sorry," he said. "I saw the news. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice revealing that she was anything but.

He glanced at the clock. It was past midnight.

"Where are you right now?" he asked.

"I'm here," she replied. "I, uh, was supposed to go home, but I-I couldn't."

"You're still at the lab?"

"I can't leave Barry alone overnight, not like this."

"Couldn't Wells stay with him?" Jay asked.

"I made Cisco take Wells out of the lab so Joe wouldn't shoot him."

"Can't blame him for wanting to," he commented quietly.

"Jay, you were right, we shouldn't've... it was stupid, setting a trap for Zoom."

"Don't talk like that," he said. "You're not to blame. Barry decided to go after Zoom. He's a hero. Speaking from experience, we do stupid things all the time."

"You do them for the right reasons," she replied. "Sometimes that's the only difference between stupidity and bravery."

"Listen, I'll be there in about thirty minutes," he said. "I'll bring a movie to watch, help you get your mind off things. How does that sound?"

"I can't ask you to do that - "

"You didn't," he interrupted. "I offered, and it'd do me some good. I've been hiding from the world these past few days."

"Okay," she said.

He could hear her smile, and it warmed him all over.

"I'll see you soon."

...

Jay didn't have a movie to bring, but Cisco had given him access to his Netflix account, which provided the requisite cinematic distraction. He couldn't get Caitlin to go any farther than the cortex, so he set up a makeshift sofa behind the main desk from spare medical cots and pilfered pillows and blankets. Then he pulled up the first serial of Doctor Who.

She didn't say much, and she spent most of the first episodes throwing glances at the medical bay.

"Caitlin, he's going to be fine," he reassured her. "He's a speedster. He'll heal."

"He couldn't feel his legs," she replied. "What if he doesn't - "

"He will," Jay interrupted.

"He has a complete dislocation at the T12-L1 interspace of the thoracolumbar junction," she continued. "We don't know the limits of his regenerative capabilities."

He interrupted, "I healed after my pelvis and two lumbar vertebrae were crushed."

"Was it Zoom?" she asked.

"Uh, no," he replied, feeling a slight blush on his cheeks. "No, it was inexperience and stupidity on my part. I was just starting out as the Flash and had no idea what I was doing. I barely made it back to my lab. I didn't even have time to hook up an IV before I passed out from the pain. Woke up two days later, still in pain and starving."

"You were alone?" she asked. "For two days?"

"And I healed," he replied. "Not completely in those two days but enough to get off the floor and call for help. Barry is faster and stronger than I ever was, and more than that, he has you. All of you. He'll come back from this."

She bit her lip and turned back to the episode, but it was clear she was still not convinced.

"You saved him, Caitlin."

"I didn't do anything."

"Zoom had the Flash at his mercy," Jay continued. "Yet Barry's alive in that medical bay."

"Speed dampening dart," she said. "Cisco did it, not me."

"The last time Zoom had another speedster beat like that, it was me, and it took a singularity to save my life," he said. "You guys managed to save Barry with a single dart. That's an incredible feat. He'll recover. Okay?"

"Thank you for coming out here so late," she said, visibly relaxing. "And... everything."

"Any excuse to watch Doctor Who," he said playfully.

"Does Earth-2 have Doctor Who?"

"We do, but it predates your earth's version by twenty-seven years. Same concept, similar arcs, but completely different episodes and actors."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's been my guilty pleasure," he admitted. "Helps me take my mind off things. Another episode?"

She nodded.

After he started the next one, she put her head on his shoulder and sank into him for support, eventually falling asleep against his chest.

Jay held her. He hadn't gotten close to anyone in a very long time. He worked better alone, or at least, it was easier for him. Being on this earth and part of a team made him question everything.

No, it was all Caitlin. What was it about her? He couldn't put his finger on it, and as he watched her sleep, he didn't care. He felt something inside him stirring, something he thought he'd lost with his speed.

Just holding her made him feel as alive as being The Flash. 

* * *

**Here and now...** Caitlin walked around the island, hampered only slightly the ache in her left leg. The sunlight rejuvenated her, so she indulged for a few minutes.

The island was small, a few square miles at most. On one side, there was nothing but ocean, and on the other, rocks marred the water's surface, protruding every few yards. She couldn't see the mainland, but she could make out a lighthouse in the distance.

Getting to this island was difficult. Approaching from the shore meant navigating treacherous waters, and there wasn't anywhere for a plane or helicopter to land. The only way on or off the island, barring a speedster, was to approach from the ocean-side by boat.

She didn't see any other buildings, though there were trees to the west that could conceal a one-story structure. She decided against further exploration when she spotted storm clouds forming. She'd experienced enough hypothermia to last a lifetime.

Caitlin returned to the house. She swept the rest of the main floor, which was spacious and sparsely furnished. She entertained the idea of avoiding the basement entirely and going up to her room for the rest of the day.

She still hadn't decided when she went into the kitchen and selected a short, sharp knife. The problem was that she had no way to safely carry it.

 _That's not the only problem._

What did she expect to do with a blade, exactly? How much good would it do against a metahuman?

 _Could you really do it?_

She pictured a herself stabbing through the arm of an attacker, a faceless metahuman with claws and fangs. It only infuriated her assailant, who struck back, forcing her to slash widely in defense, finally shoving the blade into flesh. Blood spurted everywhere as she watched her featureless foe fall to the ground, but once he hit the floor, he was no longer a stranger. He was Jay - no, Hunter - lying in a pool of his own blood.

She vividly recalled Jay with fear and pain in his eyes as a clawed hand protruded from his chest before he was yanked bodily into the breach.

Nausea overcame her, and her stomach lurched. Unlike earlier this morning, though, it was no longer empty, and the queasiness persisted after she purged the mental image. Picturing Hunter dead - murdered by her own hand - nearly caused her to vomit.

 _You're not a killer._

She accepted it. Even if she had the perfect opportunity to kill him, she wouldn't be able to do it. She returned the knife to the drawer.

"You are strong," someone said from behind her.

The voice was unfamiliar to her, so she turned slowly. The speaker was a black woman in her mid-thirties dressed in light, comfortable clothing. Her eyes were warm and discerning, and she had a way about her that reminded her of Iris and Barry.

"Call me Totem," the woman said.

"Totem?" Caitlin repeated.

"Everyone here goes by taken names," she continued. "You are no exception."

"I don't have one," she replied. "I'm not metahuman."

"Neither am I."

"I don't have powers," Caitlin said.

"Of course you do," Totem replied. "Maybe not supernatural in nature, but you do. You showed a warrior's strength. You deserve a warrior's name."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You put the knife back," she said. "I know how difficult that can be. Pick a name for yourself, and take your time. Tell me when you are ready."

Caitlin wasn't sure what to make of Totem or her request. She assumed this was the person Hunter sent to bring her up to speed.

 _To manipulate you._

Then something caught her eye. At first she thought it was an enormous house cat, but as it came closer, it seemed more like a hyena. It was a canine with spindly legs, a large, fluffy tail, and vertical stripes down its coat.

"Her name is Terra Firma," Totem explained.

"You have a pet aardwolf?" Caitlin asked.

"Terra is not a pet. She's one of my familiars."

"Familiar?" she asked. "As in the servant to a witch or sorcerer?"

"In fairy stories, yes," Totem replied. "In the real world, a familiar is psychically bonded with a person. When the right connection is made, it provides potent healing for both parties. Growth of mind, body, and spirit."

"How did it happen?" Caitlin asked, her curiosity trumping her suspicion.

"It is my gift."

 _Don't trust her._

Caitlin asked, "Why do you work with Zoom?"

"You ask as if I will not answer, as if that is not the very reason we are here."

She didn't know how to reply.

Totem moved to the basement door and said, "Follow me."

She opened it and descended with her aardwolf at her heels. Caitlin stared after them. She knew she would follow. It was the only possible choice, but she wasn't ready to do it yet.

 _Don't trust her._

As strange as it was, Caitlin found herself thinking about an alias. She didn't know where to start. Cisco would probably come up with something right away, even though she didn't have any powers. What would he pick? Antifreeze? No, that made it sound like she could melt ice or something. Doctor Hail? No, that was too close to Doctor Light.

She needed something that was strong and fierce, but it couldn't suggested that she had powers. That felt disingenuous.

 _What are you doing? You don't have a secret identity._

That snapped Caitlin out of her head for a moment, but the truth was, she was stranded on an island. There was nowhere to go.

 _You don't have to follow her._

But she did. She needed to know why she was here. It could be the key to her escape.

So she took a deep breath and followed the aardwolf.

The stairway was hewn from old stone, and it led her down into a cellar that was also cut from rock. It was dark and had odd boxes piled everywhere with a thick layer of dust. It was creepy.

And it was empty.

 _What the hell?_

The sound of claws on stone caught her attention. Terra Firma stepped out from behind a shelf. She sat down and curled her tail around her toes, tilting her head to one side, as if curious.

"Where is everybody?" Caitlin asked.

Normally she would feel foolish asking an animal and actually expecting an answer, but Terra Firma didn't seem like an animal at all. She thought about Everyman, a metahuman who could transform into anyone he touched. Was it so far-fetched to think that a metahuman could transform into an animal?

 _But why an aardwolf? Some kind of inside lycanthropy joke?_

Terra Firma tilted her head to the other side, as if sizing up the hapless human lost in the stone basement. Then she stood up and looked straight at Caitlin with piercing eyes and turned around, stalking off the way she came.

Caitlin followed, and when she got to the other side of the shelf, Terra Firma was sitting in front of the far wall, looking over her shoulder. Then she bolted ahead, disappearing through the stone as if it were air.

 _You've got to be kidding._

She put her hand against the wall, and it felt tangible. Solid. But as she put more weight against it, she passed through it, like it wasn't there at all.

Then something yanked her forward, and suddenly she was standing inside an industrial elevator with Terra Firma for company.

 _What the hell?_

Descent began automatically, or at least Caitlin had nothing to do with it. Apparently, being on a secluded, difficult-to-reach island wasn't enough. Whatever Hunter was doing here was a further concealed in a hidden, underground lair.

It felt like three floors passed before the doors opened.

Terra Firma ran. It took Caitlin a moment before she followed.

She was in a hospital.

A secret, underground hospital.

"Welcome to the Comet," Totem announced.

Caitlin hadn't seen her approach.

"There is someone you must meet."

She didn't say anything as they walked. She was too busy imagining what Hunter could be doing with a facility like this. Experimenting on metahumans? Building up a metahuman army with implanted medical tech?

There were too many horrible possibilities.

Totem stopped outside a hospital room. Through the window, she saw a young boy in a bed with a scarlet macaw perched above him, watching over him.

"This is Blink Junior and Scout," Totem introduced. "Junior was rescued from the MTU about a week ago. I bonded him with Scout to accelerate the healing process."

"You can give other people familiars?" Caitlin asked.

"Bond," she corrected. "It is my gift. Unfortunately, it has complicated matters, and the medical staff here is at a loss. That is why you are here."

 _Don't trust her._

She didn't have to, not if this boy was a real patient. She could run tests and rely on the science. Right now, that felt like the only real thing in her life, the only thing she could hold on to in this strange universe.

"What name did you choose?" Totem asked. "For the sake of introductions."

Caitlin had the sneaking suspicion that the gift of bonding a familiar wasn't Totem's only power. That, or she had some kind of telepathy or psychic perception that facilitated her abilities.

"Bellatrix," Caitlin replied.

"The female warrior," Totem commented. "A fine choice."

 _Don't trust Zoom's telepath._

"You're telling me Zoom brought me here to help a little boy in a coma?" she asked. "Why would he do that?"

"The coma is medically induced," Totem replied, dodging the actual question. "I'm partially to blame."

Before she could press her for answers, Totem swept into the room, gaining the rapt attention of Scout the Macaw.

"This is Bellatrix. She is a doctor here to help."

She spoke as if someone was standing in the room. Caitlin stepped in behind her, but there was no one but the boy and the bird, which ruffled its beautiful plumage.

"When the particle accelerator exploded, Blink and her son, that's Junior here, were hit by dark matter," Totem explained as she walked over to the x-ray illuminator. "They both developed the ability to teleport."

"Both of them?"

"Is that intrigue I hear in your voice, doctor?"

"It's just... I've encountered related metahumans before. Brothers. They also had identical powers. The long-standing assumption has been that environmental factors contribute to the specific abilities gained from the activated meta-gene, but obviously biology, genetics, play a role," she said in a rush.

 _There's a patient in the room._

Caitlin adjusted. Now wasn't the time for that kind of curiosity or inquery.

She asked, "How long has Junior been in an induced coma?"

"Four days."

That didn't make any sense.

"Doesn't Junior have regenerative capabilities?" Caitlin asked.

"To an extraordinary extent," Totem replied.

She flicked the illuminator on, revealing a collection of scans of - presumably - Junior's head. Caitlin approached the scans cautiously, her mind reeling from what was in front of her.

"Bilateral anophthalmia," she said, her medical training attempting to inject cold rationality into the situation.

It failed bitterly as all the pieces of the puzzle came together in her mind.

When she spoke again, her voice shook. She said, "I've met a teleporter before. Peek-a-boo. Her only limitation was line of sight. She can't teleport in the dark or out of a room made of one-way glass. Removing both her eyes would likely eliminate her abilities."

"That was precisely the hypothesis the MTU was testing," Totem said. "Junior's powers work much the same way, but his eyes kept healing from the other forms of blindness they inflicted on him."

Caitlin felt sick to her stomach. Someone had done this on purpose. They had removed a child's eyes for an experiment. Who would do that?

 _Somebody like Zoom._

No, Hunter was a terrible human being. He murdered people without remorse and possibly for fun, but as far as she knew, he didn't mutilate children just to see what would happen.

 _You don't know that._

"Why would anyone do this?" she asked.

"I can only guess," Totem replied.

She continued to answer, but Caitlin wasn't listening. Her eyes had landed on the scans from earlier that day and the day previous. It was incredible. Impossible.

 _Obviously not impossible._

"His eyes are growing back," she said, interrupting Totem. "I've seen metas heal from fractures, burns, even a broken back, but... complete regeneration? Why induced a coma?"

"I told you, I bonded Scout to Junior to accelerate the healing process, and it worked," Totem explained. "But, as you can imagine, regrowing both eyes is not pleasant, and there is no protocol to handle it. But the largest factor was Scout. Many learn to see through the eyes of their familiars. Junior instinctively knew how."

"So he could teleport again," Caitlin said, cottoning on.

"Yes, over much farther distances than before. Unfortunately, the trauma he survived has caused a loss of control. Even with pain medications, he still has persistent discomfort and itching. Fight-or-flight response is powerful. He teleports to wherever Scout is looking. No matter where. He broke both ankles teleporting into the other room because there was nowhere to land."

Junior had been in this coma for four days, and his new eyes were maturing at a rapid pace. In less than a week, they'd fill the ocular cavity, and - assuming the eyes were healing in the same way that Barry's back did - it would take a few more days after that before his sight was restored.

"If you can find a way to treat the discomfort and itching from the tissue regeneration, we could take him out of the coma," Totem continued.

Caitlin picked up the chart at the end of his bed. Blink Junior, age ten, rescued from the MTU outside Coast City eight days ago. Doctor Midnight scanned for and removed medical implants from the boy, including three trackers and a neurostimulator. Blood type Z negative with activated meta-gene.

From the blood work she'd done on Earth-2 Wells, Caitlin had learned that this universe classified blood types differently. Type Z corresponded with Type O.

She bit her lip. With something as basic as blood type varying in this universe, she couldn't take anything for granted, and technology here was at least a decade ahead of Earth-1. She needed to step lightly and read rigorously.

"I'm going to need to see everything," Caitlin said to Totem. "Not just his medical charts. I need access to medical research, past and present, as well as anything you can provide about the technologies and procedures the MTU might've used on Junior. And, before I can administer anything, I'll need to speak with his parent or guardian."

"His mother is presently on mission," Totem replied. "She went dark yesterday. But I assure you, Bellatrix, she left him in our care."

 _Don't trust her._

She didn't like the idea of treating a child without consent, especially because, in the best case scenario, his recovery would leave him in the care of Hunter. She doubted he'd make a good father.

 _He probably just wants to use the kid's powers. He has extended teleportation abilities. Imagine what would happen if Hunter could control him._

"Follow me, Bellatrix," Totem said before she slipped out of the room.

Caitlin stared at Junior for a moment before putting his chart back.

"I'll find a way to help you," she said before she left. "I promise." 

* * *

**Three months ago in February...** Jay knocked on Caitlin's door. No answer. Just like his calls.

She was angry with him. She had every right to be, and she had every right to take some space and clear her head. For the past few days, she had kept her distance. She had given him plenty of excuses - she needed to do an autopsy on Turtle, she had to follow up on tests, she was doing research, and so on - but he knew what this was about.

He'd kept his illness from her, concealed it as if it were some bitter secret he was too ashamed to share. Because that was what it was to him: a point of shame. That, and any time she spent trying to help him would distract from stopping Zoom, which was the real mission.

He'd made so many mistakes, and the last thing he wanted was for Caitlin to see him differently. Once he learned that Harrison Wells had arrived on this earth, he knew it was only a matter of time before she started to do just that.

And now, it was like she wouldn't look at him at all. After her passionate insistence on helping him, she collected blood and tissue samples from him while he answered all her questions about the effects of cellular degeneration on his body. Then she told him to go home and rest.

"Will I see you tonight?" he had asked.

"Probably not," she had replied. "I've got a lot to do here."

That was all she'd said, but he could hear the reservation in her voice. He hadn't just omitted his illness, he had actively concealed it from her. She wanted to help him but remained furious with him.

So he went home and spent a restless night alone. They hadn't spent an entire night apart since Christmas, and he found himself unable to sleep. He kept wondering what she was thinking and how she was feeling. He couldn't put her out of his head.

In the days since, she had been perfectly polite with him, but she hadn't engaged him directly. Cisco had been lurking more than usual, probably because she had asked him to act as a wingman.

And Cisco had been a very effective buffer.

So today he didn't go to STAR Labs. There weren't any metahuman dangers afoot apart from Zoom since they captured Turtle. If they needed him, they would call. He didn't need to be underfoot.

But he couldn't let it drag on this way. He deserved whatever she wanted to throw at him: shouting, yelling, any objects she felt like pelting. Caitlin often held her fury close, letting it froth in her chest, so it burned right through her.

He hated the idea that something he did had hurt her and kept hurting her.

He knocked again, louder this time. Then he rang the bell twice. She wasn't at Jitters or the lab, which meant she had to be home.

"Caitlin," he said at the door, hoping she'd hear him. "It's me. Please, I just want to talk."

No response.

He put his forehead against the door, leaning into it as he took a deep breath. One hand came to rest on the door handle. It gave even though he hadn't put any pressure on it.

The door was unlocked.

His heart began to hammer hard in his chest. Caitlin was too safety-conscious to leave it like this. She didn't even hide a spare key. She'd never leave her front door open, unless...

No, no. He couldn't let himself think like that. Sometimes, when she first got in, she'd bar the door without locking it. That must be it. She was fine. She had to be fine.

But he had to know.

So he took hold of the handle and turned it, opening the door slowly, anticipating the bar jamming it up.

It didn't. It opened completely, revealing her apartment. Some of the lights were on. Nothing was out of place. At least, nothing he could see.

"Caitlin," he whispered, panic setting in. He raised his voice. "Caitlin? Caitlin!"

He stepped inside, petrified he'd find the place empty, or worse, discover her injured or...

"Jay?" Caitlin replied, her voice soft.

Relief like he'd never known swept over him when he saw her step out from the hallway that led back to the rest of her apartment.

She looked confused and a little scruffy. She was dressed in her bathrobe.

"Caitlin, God, I'm sorry," he replied.

"You're here?"

It was obvious she wasn't pleased to see him.

"I came by to talk, and when you didn't respond, I... the door was open, I assumed the worse, and..."

He heard what he was saying. He must've sounded like some possessive idiot, barging into his girlfriend's apartment after she refused a few of his calls. It was the last impression he needed to make on her right now.

"I'm sorry. I overreacted. I should go."

"No, wait," she said, reaching out and grabbing his arm. "It's sweet of you to check on me."

"How... how are you?"

"I'm okay," she replied. "It's been a long week."

"Yeah, yeah it has," he replied lamely.

"Would you close the door?"

He would've done anything she requested, including leaving the apartment. He closed the door, locked, and barred it.

"I shouldn't've barged in," he said apologetically.

"Actually, I left it open because I was going to invite you over," she replied.

"If you wanted to talk about - "

She interrupted, "Actually, I was going to ask you to join me."

"Join you...?"

"For a bath."

His heart rate increased again, but this time for entirely different reasons.

"I'd like that," he said. "But I know we haven't really had time to discuss - "

"I don't want to talk, Jay," she replied, her voice kind despite her interruption. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."

She smiled and reached out for him again, extending her hand. He was dumbfounded. She didn't look angry or upset, just tired, like she hadn't been sleeping, either. Jay wondered if it was for the same reason.

He took her hand, and she tugged on his arm, leading him back to her bathroom, where the tub was already filled and steaming.

He felt the double sting of hope and guilt. If she felt the same for him, then his lies would've cut deep. How could he make it up to her if she wasn't interested in talking?

As if to answer his question, her lips were suddenly against his, her hands tugging at his belt. It felt like a deep breath of fresh air after nothing but days of smog. He tipped her head back so he could pull her closer without breaking away. If talking was off the table, then he'd pour his apology into every touch, every sigh, until she made it something else, something better.

Like she did with everything.

After his pants and belt were undone, she stepped back. She gave him a warm smile before turning away.

"You first."

He obliged. He left his clothes in a neat pile by the door before stepping into the water. It was hotter than he expected with a strong lemon and lavender scent, which he hadn't known Caitlin liked.

Jay thought about asking her about it, but when she dropped her robe and bared herself to him, he couldn't remember what he'd been thinking. She stepped into the tub, turning so they were stacked, spooning in the water. He wrapped her in his arms, tucking his head next to hers as he breathed her in.

Her soft skin turned red quickly, and he wondered if the water was too hot for her. But she didn't pull away or complain. Not about him or the water.

She reached back and caressed his face, her fingers warm and wet, before she turned her head and kissed him. There was no mistaking the desire, the passion of it; she didn't want to talk or to fight. She didn't want apologies. She just wanted him.

His hand started at her neck, bringing a splash of hot water over the last of her dry skin. His thumb circled idly over her muscles, which were more tense than usual. She'd been working too hard. Then his fingers drifted down to her clavicle before reaching her bosom and her already hardened nipples.

The water amplified her already sexy curves. He cupped her breasts, gently stroking the sensitive tissue. Her groan of approval made his cock stiffen. He kissed down her neck, shifting lower so his arm could comfortably reach her center. She turned her head so she was facing forward again, just in time to see his fingers snake between her legs. He didn't touch her at first. He used four fingers like a paddle, sending the water over her most sensitive area in a slow, steady rhythm that earned him a throaty moan.

He started using his whole hand, flicking his wrist, increasing the tempo quickly, gaging his speed by her breath, which was now coming in short, quick pants. His free arm wrapped around her midsection to hold her in place as the pace quickened, his fingers stroking her breasts.

Her hands came up over the arm between her legs, pulling him closer. He pressed his lips against her wet shoulder as his fingers found her clit, delicately teasing the sensitive bud. Her back bowed, throwing her into his touch, and her entire body trembled as he nibbled on her ear.

She mumbled his name at first, but each time it got a little louder, a little clearer.

She planted her feet on either side of his legs, opening to him slightly as she hovered above him.

He had never bothered thinking about what the phrase 'sweet nothings' meant, but as he whispered in her ear how beautiful she was, how gorgeous she looked in the water, how incredible it was to touch her, he found himself at a loss for the right thing to say. So he continued praising her as his fingers quickened against her till her head fell back on his shoulder as she arched up. The water cascaded from her body as she rode out her climax.

Caitlin eased her way back into the water. He nestled into the crook of her neck as she came back down, her soft curves caressing him.

She nudged his leg with her knee, and he shifted it in, giving her space to kneel. She did the same thing with her other leg before rising up so she was straddling him. He had been reclining back against the tub, but he felt far away from her. So he sat up straight and brought his hands over her thighs, stroking them.

"Caitlin..." he whispered.

She turned her head and kissed him over her shoulder, distracting him as one hand braced against the tub for balance and the other took hold of his hardened member. He groaned as her hand pumped up and down a few times, and she took advantage by deepening the kiss, exploring his mouth with her tongue.

His hands went to her hips, desperate for something to hold on to, and she lined them up before lowering herself over him, enveloping him in silky warmth that even the tub water couldn't match. His moan echoed off the tiles. Was he always this loud? Or was that only with her?

They had only been having sex for a month, but he learned what she needed - and what she liked - in a week. Caitlin loved foreplay, but once he was inside her, it never took long for her to come. It was almost like she was impatient for it, especially if he took his time warming her up, gradually increasing the pressure and speed so as to avoid over-stimulating her nerves. She always wanted him hard and fast.

But in this position, she set the pace, so he let his hands explore her skin, remaining still as possible as she rested against him, letting herself stretch to accommodate him. Then she began to move, circling her hips one way, then the other. He bit his bottom lip as she found a rhythm, the sound of the water splashing in time with her movements.

Then she began to bounce at a listless pace. Up and down, up and down with little circles. He groaned against her skin as his fingers descended to her clit again, matching her movements. He couldn't help that his back curled a little, thrusting ever so slightly into her, and she made a low and deep grunt that told him he had the right idea.

Jay followed Caitlin's lead, keeping the thrusts measured, circular, and only slightly in-and-out, their slick bodies rocking together. Rather than the usual tingling at the base of his spine, he felt his entire body gradually give into the pleasure ahead.

He wanted to tell her how amazing she was, how unbelievable she felt clenched around him, pushing him higher and higher. But he soon found himself unable to form a coherent thought, the only thing in the world was this woman on top of him, demanding everything, and he, willingly providing. He was getting lost in it, the moments passing him by with no regard for time. They rocked together like that for a few seconds, a few minutes, an hour. He couldn't tell. The unhurried pace made the build stronger and stronger, and all he wanted was for her to feel the same, to know the ecstasy she always gave him whenever they came together.

Her movements began to falter, so he increased the pressure of his fingers against her clit, driving her over the edge into her second climax. Her walls clamped around him, the contractions almost over-stimulating as he came hard, spilling into her. He gripped her tight as they rode it out and her sweet, tight core milked his cock. He managed to shout her name - and she, his - echoing off the walls as the water sloshed around them, and his mind went completely blank.

They were both breathing hard, their hair in various states of wetness, the water slightly cooler than he remembered it being only moments earlier. He didn't want to ruin the moment by speaking or shifting, so he nibbled down the side of her neck, more than content to stay like this forever. 

* * *

**Here and now...** Caitlin worked in a corner office on the top floor of the underground hospital. It was a generic room, but it had good lighting and whiteboards for her to write on. She poured over documents for hours, scanning patient charts and delving into medical publications, compiling a list of questions as she went.

From time to time, Totem would appear with another box or patient file, but Caitlin was too engrossed in the work to speak with her.

At lunch time, Totem brought her grilled cheese, fries, and a salad. She had meant to eat it, but with everything in front of her, she forgot.

"Do I have to leave Terra Firma in here until you eat this?" Totem asked, putting a fresh plate on the page she was reading.

"You got me another?" Caitlin asked. "I still haven't eaten the first."

"It's cold."

"You only brought it a few minutes ago."

"Over an hour ago."

Caitlin absentmindedly nibbled at the sandwich, giving Totem the latitude to leave. She took the the cold plate with her.

 _She works for Hunter. Don't trust her._

She couldn't tell if Totem was a skilled liar like Hunter or if she was working for him under duress. If she was lying, then she probably had some insight on his plans, but if she wasn't... then Hunter probably threatened to kill her if Caitlin didn't do what he wanted. Or didn't eat. Or if she failed to help Junior.

She wasn't going to give him any excuse to kill.

 _Don't trust Totem._

As she chewed her sandwich, she realized how angry she was. The horrors these files contained enraged her.

For example, several doctors had developed special neurostimulators for metahumans. A few amplified or helped to control the meta's abilities, similar to Cisco's Vibe Goggles, but most were designed to inflict pain or paralysis. These devices were made to control metas, and the designers knew enough about meta-healing to prevent it from interfering.

This kind of development took time and resources, the kind that came from either government backing or big business investment. These weren't evil implants developed by a few mad scientists, but products in high demand. And somehow they were legal, or at least legal enough to be openly discussed by the medical community.

Blink Junior was not an outlier on this earth. An organized group was out there, hunting and capturing metahumans. The handful that roamed free - Zoom, for example - were those too dangerous or powerful to apprehend.

Caitlin hated herself for even considering it. But, what if Hunter hadn't been lying? What if he - and his followers - were actually fighting a secret war against metahumans?

 _If Zoom was fighting a war, he'd slaughter everyone, and he wouldn't care how many people he killed. You want to believe that Jay was real, that he's inside Hunter somewhere, but he's not._

Hunter never had any issue with murder, even before he became metahuman. So why hadn't he wiped out the MTU?

Maybe he kept them in play as a boogeyman of sorts, the kind that forced metahumans to unite under a powerful leader, even if they didn't trust him.

None of her speculation was helping Junior. She needed to focus on him.

So she shoved everything else aside except for his charts and related medical papers.

...

According to Junior's file, scans confirmed that all medical implants had been removed from his body. The discomfort he experienced was a direct result of tissue regeneration. Once the eyes fit the ocular cavities again, she could treat the discomfort, but in the mean time, his body produced fluid to fill the space and nurture the tissue growth. As it was, they had to apply special bandages over his eyes to reduce leakage, and they had to be changed every six hours. She briefly considered sealing his eyelids with surgical glue or sutures, but even those engineered for metahumans only remained subcutaneous for about twelve hours before the body essentially healed them out.

There was no medical precedence or procedure to refer to, so Caitlin imagined the patient's perspective. If Junior woke today, she would have to subject him to days of sedation and twice-daily re-suturing, and she had no doubt that the circumstances would compound his recent trauma at the hands of the MTU.

 _No one should have to go through that. Least of all a ten-year-old._

The induced coma was the most humane way of handling his symptoms until all the tissue was regenerated. His vision would still be compromised for several days thereafter, but he would unencumbered by medical procedures. And he'd be ambulatory, even if only cautiously.

Caitlin wrote out his treatment plan for the next three weeks. She read it over for errors, and she couldn't help but wonder. What would happen to Junior after the treatment concluded? Would he grow up just another pawn in Zoom's empire?

 _Not if you can help it._

But she couldn't. The best she could do was get this kid back on his feet and get him as far from Hunter as possible. And if the size of the Comet was any indication, Junior wasn't going to be her only patient. Every one of them would face the same dilemma if she managed to help them.

This was what Hunter wanted, her patching up wounded metahumans in his covert facility to refill the ranks of his army.

"It's nearly six o'clock," Totem announced, interrupting her train of thought.

"Why do you work for Zoom?" Caitlin asked. "You said you'd tell me."

"I showed you today," Totem replied.

"Zoom isn't a revolutionary leader."

"That is what you think? That people are marshaling behind him because he is our leader?" Totem asked. "We are not fools, Bellatrix."

"No, but maybe you're like him," she replied. "Willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want."

Totem shut the office door and sat on the other side of the desk. It was an oddly formal gesture.

Caitlin waited for her to go on, but she said nothing. It was almost like Totem was waiting for something.

Then, out of the blue, she began, "We only have a few moments without him hearing. I understand your misgivings. They are the same as mine. It is very important that he never know we had this conversation."

 _Don't trust her._

Caitlin nodded her head, yes.

"Zoom is not one man but two," Totem continued. "I have no word for this way of being. Some people live life with two faces."

"You mean liars," Caitlin suggested. "Impersonators."

"No, I do not," she replied. "It is more than that. This is how people can be both doctors and destroyers. They vow to never harm, yet they mutilate and kill without hesitation in the name of one cause or another. They survive by living with two faces."

Caitlin was reminded of the Nazi doctors who did human experimentation during World War II. They behaved as upstanding members of their community who loved their families and friends, and then they went to work and mercilessly tortured other human beings, documenting the horrific outcomes and speculating on future "experiments."

 _Doubling. In psychology, it's called doubling._

"Most of us know he is not as he says," Totem continued. "I have no choice but to see him for what he is. That is part of my gift."

"Then why are you helping him?" Caitlin asked in a whisper.

"Because he is no longer lying."

"You can't... he's manipulating you."

Totem gave her a sad smile. "He cannot manipulate me. I see through people, even when they lie to themselves. Even when they have yet to realize it for themselves. I know you have no trust for him. I cannot fault your perception or logic. For a long time, he was desperate for something, but whatever it was, he must have succeeded in acquiring it recently - "

"He did," Caitlin interrupted, bitterly remembering how he stole Barry's speed.

"That explains it," Totem said. "A month ago, everything changed."

"He is a very good liar," Caitlin warned.

"He is," she replied. "When things first changed, I feared that he had found a way to deflect my abilities, but then he spoke of you."

"Me?" she repeated. "What do I have to do with anything?"

"This world has never been kind to people with powers," Totem replied. "We were hunted long before the era of metahumans. We have tried hiding. We have tried fighting. For over two years, there have been more of us than ever before in all history, yet most of us have succumbed to defeat. But if someone like Zoom - "

"You mean a serial killer?" Caitlin interrupted.

"I mean someone powerful, someone who inspires fear," Totem replied. "If someone like that decided to take up the Cause, then maybe people like me would not have to live as we do. We are either prey hiding in the shadows, stolen away by people who will torture us to death, or we are predators, lashing out so that everyone will be too afraid to dare approach us."

Caitlin shook her head, no.

"Bellatrix - "

She interrupted, "What happens after? After Zoom defeats the MTU, do you think he'll just stop? He won't. He'll take over this world and destroy it. And it still won't be enough for him."

"Nothing is ever enough," Totem agreed. "Not for him. I've seen that inside him, too."

"Then how can you say this - "

"We are running out of time," Totem interrupted. "Tell me, Bellatrix, why would a man need two faces?"

"To manipulate others, to get what he wants," she replied.

"Lying does not require such an elaborate disguise," Totem pointed out. "Many have manipulated entire nations with a few well-chosen words. In my experience, an evil man does not have two faces. He simply conceals and reveals his true face as convenient."

 _Doubling would explain Jay._

"Are you trying to tell me that Zoom is secretly, deep down, a good man?" Caitlin asked.

"No, not at all," Totem replied. "Only that a man without conscience has no need for two faces. You are the only person who has touched both sides of him. You may be our only hope."

Before Caitlin could reply, Totem held up her hand and whispered, "We're out of time."

 _Don't trust her._

Totem hadn't given her any reason to trust her. Caitlin knew almost nothing about her.

"How did you get your powers?" Caitlin asked. "If you're not metahuman, then what are you?"

"We have no name," Totem replied. "At least, none that I have ever learned."

"Elaborate."

"To what end?"

"You want me to trust you, so tell me something true. Give me a reason to believe you."

"Very well," Totem said. "I was born in South Africa, but my parents moved to Central City when I was very young. After that, I only visited my home country for a few months at a time. One year - right after I turned sixteen - I pulled a woman from a river during my trip. She was badly beaten and barely alive. I called for help, but we both knew she was not going to make it. She did not tell me her name, and though I searched for many years, I never learned it.

"This woman I saved, she told me that her mother had given her a great gift, and her mother before her, and her mother before her, down through the generations. Then she told me that her daughter was dead. Killed by the same people who attacked her. But their gift would not end. It would live on through the stranger who braved a river to save her. I told her I that I had not saved her. She reassured me that I had. Then she made me promise to rescue the people she had failed. She said I would know where to go when I was ready. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she was dying, so I promised her I would. She died long before help arrived, and there was no one to claim the body. So I did. I buried her in a grave with no name."

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said.

"I came into my powers not long after," Totem continued. "About a week later, I was drawn to the outskirts of a town upstream of that river. I knew nothing about this new power I had, but I could feel it. I was soon to leave for Central City, but I followed my instincts. I found the people she had spoken of. She had not told me that these were the people who murdered her and her daughter. They laughed about it.

"All of them were dying from a virus, and I wanted nothing more than to walk away and let the sickness take every last one of them. But I promised the woman with no name that I would save them... so I offered a trade. I would save them, and in return, they would tell me the name of the women they killed. They agreed."

"You said you never knew her name."

"I never did," she continued. "I still do not. After I saved them, they told me they never knew her name, but I could ask her in hell, where every cursed soul like mine goes."

"They tried to kill you after you saved their lives?" Caitlin asked.

"I had, and there are days where that is the most profound regret of my life. But then I think about the four who risked everything to aid my escape. That was when I learned that I could not decide who lives or dies. All I can do is my best to save whoever stands before me."

"You save people?" she asked.

"You sound surprised."

Totem was genuine and kind, and it seemed like she was telling the truth.

 _You've been wrong about that before._

"I am a pacifist, Bellatrix," she continued. "Even when it hurts. I see through people, no matter how elaborate their lies. I see things that even they cannot see. Things that they have forgotten."

"You want me to trust you, even though you basically just told me you read minds?"

"Not minds," Totem replied. "Souls."

"I can't read either. For all I know, you're just parroting what Zoom wanted you to say."

"Do you know what I find most interesting about your name, Bellatrix?" Totem asked as she stood up. "It is the name for the third brightest star of the constellation Orion."

"I was thinking more along the lines of Lestrange," she admitted.

 _What if they don't have Harry Potter on this earth?_

"Why not Hermione? Or Luna? Or Minerva?"

That answered her question about Harry Potter.

"Bellatrix felt right."

"I concede, it is an excellent choice," Totem said. "I can glean much about someone by the name they choose. You chose the warrior woman, the Amazon Star, who rests upon the shoulder of the giant, the reaper, or as he is most commonly known, the Hunter."

It could've been a random musing, but between her phrasing and cadence, Caitlin knew it wasn't.

 _She knows Zoom's real name... and... that means..._

"I recommend retiring upstairs soon," Totem said. "Everything will be here in the morning. Good evening, Bellatrix."

Then she swept out of the room.

Caitlin's stomach lurched again. She hadn't selected the name Bellatrix for the reason Totem implied. She hadn't. But the idea that her unconscious mind might've pulled one over on her was... unsettling.

She loved Jay. There was no escaping that. And if Hunter used doubling as a dissociative state - a way to be both serial killer and life-saving scientist - then at least it made sense.

 _Don't let this woman get into your head. She works for Zoom, however unwillingly. If he told her to manipulate you or die, which do you think she'd pick? Don't trust her._

Then, maybe the name Bellatrix wasn't about love. Maybe her unconscious mind selected it to endure. She hardly knew Hunter, and it would take everything she had to survive him. Picking a name that connected to his, however tangentially, was nothing more than a basic survival mechanism.

She refocused her thoughts. She had assumed that Hunter had some kind of antisocial personality disorder and never considered dissociative disorders. Totem was right about one thing: only a person with a conscience would need to dissociate from the terrible things they've done.

But did that really apply to Hunter?

She was a biochemist. She hadn't focused on psychiatry or psychology, though she had taken classes and done rotations in medical school. She didn't have the background or the experience to diagnose someone like Hunter, and Earth-2 had diverged from Earth-1 on mental and psychological health a very long time ago.

 _Thoughts are powerful. Don't let Hunter or his minions mess with your mind._

Caitlin wondered what would happen if she dawdled, avoided returning upstairs. Hunter would probably come to collect her. He'd probably be unhappy about it.

 _He can handle a little misery. He certainly deserves it._

Her stomach growled. Minutes ago, she was nauseous from the stress, yet now she was hungry. As counter-intuitive as seemed, she decided that that was a good sign.

She realized she wouldn't make any progress on that tonight. One way or another, she'd have to face Hunter. She might as well get it out of the way.

Caitlin's hands shook a little as she set her notes from earlier that day aside. She took the time to calm herself before leaving the office for the elevator.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, Bellatrix, comes from the name of Gamma Ori, sometimes called the Amazon Star, which is the third brightest in the constellation Orion.

 **A Quick Note on Blood Types** : According to Earth-2 Wells, he and Jesse both have type PZ negative. Cisco claims that this particular type is 'not a thing' on Earth-1. In _Orion_ , Earth-1 and Earth-2 have the same blood types; the only variation is the naming system. On Earth-1, the system is ABO and on Earth-2, it's PQZ. Earth-2 also names a person's type after both alleles.

Wells's Earth-2 blood type, PZ negative, would correspond with Earth-1's AO negative, which would be classified simply as A negative, as the recessive-O allele isn't named in the ABO system. Only people with homozygous blood types have a single-letter classification on Earth-2. (e.g. Earth-1's type O, which is always homozygous when expressed, corresponds with Earth-2's type Z.)

 **Author's note** : I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It turned out to be a bit longer than I intended. I know there was a lack of Here-and-now Hunter/Caitlin moments, but that will be rectified in the next chapter. Thank you all for reading!

* * *

 **Orion Q &A**

* * *

Have a question about _Orion_? Feel free to drop me a line: message me, comment, review, drop me an anonymous ask, whatever works best for you.

 **Warning** : The Question/Answer section may contain hints or spoilers about upcoming chapters.

* * *

 _Are Jay and Caitlin going to be like endgame in the story or she will escape?_  
This is a hard question to answer without spoiling everything. What I will say is this: my dark fics have happy endings, and Orion is no exception.

 _How long were Caitlin and Jay together on Earth-1? And how long was Jay 'dead' before they discovered his true identity?_  
For both questions, _Orion_ diverges from canon slightly. They met seven months ago in October 2015. Jay and Caitlin's romantic relationship started in December and continued for four months until Jay 'died' in April 2016. At the end of April, about three weeks after his supposed death, Team Flash discovered that Jay was Zoom, and two weeks or so later, Zoom took Barry's speed and abducted Caitlin.

(In canon, Caitlin speaks to Eliza Harmon in 02x16 _Trajectory_ about research they shared "a few months ago," implying that it's been two or three months since Jay died in 02x14 _Escape from Earth-2_. _Orion_ 's timeline shortens this to three weeks.)


	6. Al-Jabbar

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Hunter receives important news regarding the MTU that precipitates an argument with Caitlin.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**  
 **Al-Jabbar**

* * *

Zoom considered ordering someone else to handle the break-in at Palmer Technologies, but even the most obedient of minions could learn too much from such a mission. The safest course of action was to complete the task himself.

Unfortunately, that came with its own set of obstacles. While the government learned long ago that resisting Zoom came with a steep paid entirely in blood, he knew that multiple agencies tracked his activity, so his appearance always drew attention. So he ordered a few local metas to turn up the heat on all the human-run illicit enterprises. He sent similar commands to his lieutenants throughout the country so the unrest wouldn't be limited to Star City or the west coast for that matter. Police, FBI, and DOD agents would be tied up for weeks processing the crime scenes, filling out useless paperwork, and struggling to discern the significance, the meaning, of it all.

With all that going on, a break-in at Palmer Technologies would garner some curiosity, but any official response would vanish in the shadow of the looming gang wars anticipated by every law enforcement agency.

Chaos was a beautiful weapon.

Zoom limited his exposure by racing inside during the apex of Typhoon's contributions to the abrupt turmoil, which covered Star City in thunderstorms. He sped up the inside of the elevator shaft and exited with the materials he required in less than forty seconds. Even with all the anti-meta and anti-speedster security in place, it was child's play.

He spent the rest of the day in one of his hidden labs in Coast City perfecting the heating mechanism of the suit. He had to hand it to Caitlin for coming up with white phosphorous. If he had set his mind to the task, he would've wasted months spinning his wheels on a viable nuclear power source.

Caitlin was a very, very smart girl.

 _She's a smart woman. Much smarter than you._

Hunter tested the insulation of the suit to ensure that it properly contained the chemical reaction. He hadn't had the luxury of tinkering in his lab to solve an interesting problem in a long time. He'd forgotten how much he loved the work, the details, the rush that came from a crafted design coming to life.

Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, releasing a spark of electric blue from under his suit. It was a distinct sensation that alerted him to nearby predators, and it was never wrong.

 _Vibe._

No, Vibe manipulated the power of multiverse - when it wasn't manipulating him - and, thanks to Reverb's constant nosiness, the tiniest ripple in the fabric of that energy forewarned him of any intrusion. No, this was something else. Someone else. But who would dare attempt to spy on Zoom?

The Metahuman Tactical Unit had grown bolder in the recent months, but with Blink in their crosshairs, he doubted they had time for him. He had already destroyed those enemies who posed any real threat, which left only one explanation.

A new player.

He didn't have time to muse over that particular problem. He told Caitlin he'd return before dark with the suit, and he planned to keep his word, so he didn't have time to investigate this new challenger and shake whoever-it-was off his trail. Not tonight.

Before he could race from the lab, someone materialized before him, making him glad that he hadn't removed his cowl. He concealed his finished project before he swept the room for any other intruders. In the blink of an eye, he was satisfied that everything else was as it should be.

Only then did he give the fool who barged into his domain uninvited a once-over. She was a young woman with light black skin and a buzz cut. Her eyes stood out in the lab lighting, but only because the circles under them were so dark. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her lips were chapped, which matched the dryness of her skin.

Clearly, Blink wasn't doing well on the lam.

 _"Blink!"_ he snarled in his Zoom voice.

"Apologies," she replied, flustered and afraid. "I... I have an urgent report."

 _"Shouldn't you be hiding from the MTU?"_

"After what those bastards did to my son, they should be hiding from us."

Blink had always preferred the subtler means of resistance, like smuggling and sabotage, yet today she was a woman demanding vengeance, blood for blood. It was enough reason for him to forget her impudence, but only this once.

 _"Speak,"_ he commanded.

"We've found it," Blink replied. "The MTU's secret weapon."

His heart skipped a beat. For a government agency, the MTU had been unusually successful at capturing metas, and he had long suspected that they possessed something that gave them a tactical advantage. None of his minions had gotten close enough to figure out what it was, let alone locate it. But from the look on Blink's face, there was no doubt in his mind that she had achieved what even Reverb could not.

 _"Where?"_

"Close," she replied. "Very, very close." 

* * *

Caitlin came up from the basement before seven o'clock. She hadn't realized how drained she was until she climbed the stairs and her legs weighed her down like lead. She pressed on until reached the kitchen-dinning room, which had a table set for two, lit by candlelight.

Hunter was already seated at the table, his elbows perched on either side of his plate, his chin held up by his two fists as he stared wistfully at the candle flame in front of him. The tiny fire cast his handsome features in a sharp relief, making him appear almost human.

 _Almost._

When his eyes fell on her, he stood up, his demeanor changing from moody teenager to absolute gentleman in a heartbeat.

"Caitlin," he said. "Please, sit."

Without a reply, she joined him at the table, which was set with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and chicken. Without asking, he uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

The candlelit dinner dug at old wounds, but she was too tired to argue with him.

"Totem is fitting Killer Frost with her new suit," he said.

"I need to see her before you take her across the breach," she replied.

"She's in the prison wing of the Comet, bottom floor," he replied. "You can visit her whenever you'd like."

"When are you taking her to Earth-1?"

"Not for another week or two," he replied. "You should eat."

To placate him, she spooned some potatoes and vegetables onto her plate and took a piece of chicken. She was hungry, but she didn't want to stay at the table any longer than necessary. So she took portions for a quick bite rather than the leisurely, romantic meal Hunter had planned.

For the next few minutes, the scrape of utensils against plates was the only thing that broke the silence. His constant gaze was stifling. The quietness had no visible impact on him, and it annoyed her. She desperately searched for a topic - any topic - to fill the void, but she couldn't think of anything to say,.

"You're quiet," he commented, finally. "Any particular reason?"

"What would I say?" she countered.

"You must have questions."

 _Why ask anything when you can't trust a word he says?_

"Not really," she replied. "You want me to treat metahumans, so they'll owe you lifelong devotion and loyalty."

"I have my own means of ensuring lifelong devotion and loyalty," he replied, his lips curling into a wry smile.

"That didn't stop Killer Frost."

She drew some satisfaction when his knuckles whitened against his fork and his jaw clenched, but it was short-lived.

"The single exception," he stated calmly. "Loyalty and obligation don't motivate metas, not when it comes to governmental agencies who have the lawful authority to hunt them down and experiment on them to death."

"So, you hold an ax over their heads?"

"You think that's worse than what happened to Blink Junior?" he asked. "Or Mirage? Or Rush? Or anybody down in the Comet?"

"Mirage?" she asked.

"She's eleven," he replied. "Rush is six."

Her curiosity peaked, getting the better of her. She had assumed Blink Junior was an anomaly.

"We've never encountered metahuman children on Earth-1," she said. "I assumed it had something to do with the onset of puberty, but here, it's obvious that the meta-gene can express itself in early childhood."

"We don't know why some children hit with the particle accelerator have remained unaffected while others like Junior developed powers as quickly as their adult counterparts," he replied. "But there's every possibility that the MTU and its affiliates know."

Caitlin didn't like where this conversation was going, but she knew she had to ask him sooner or later. She might as well get it over with now.

"If the MTU is really this big threat, why haven't you..." she hesitated, fumbling for the right word. "Dealt with them directly?"

"You mean why haven't I killed every last one of them?" he asked. "I have to find them first."

A beeping abruptly filled the room. It wasn't an alarm or a ring tone. If anything, it reminded Caitlin of the beepers used in the nineties on Earth-1. Hunter's hand went to his hip and the sound stopped.

"I have to go," he said as he stood up.

"Go? Where?"

He gave her that toothy smirk that she hated.

"I'm sorry I have to cut dinner short tonight," he replied, completely avoiding her question. "Don't worry about the cleanup."

He walked right past her, so she stood and grabbed his shoulder, halting him before he made it out of the room.

"What's going on?" she asked.

He turned back to her, surprised at the willing physical contact, and he wasn't the only one. She did it out of habit more than anything, but it was too late to take it back. Since she had obviously gotten his attention, she withdrew her hand slowly, trying to make the movement natural.

She failed.

"Too much to explain right now," he replied. "I'll tell you everything when I see you tomorrow at breakfast."

She saw no smugness, no knowing smile, nothing that she'd expect from Hunter. Whatever he was feeling, his face betrayed none of it, though something in his eyes told her that he was happy.

 _If he's happy, it's only because he thinks you're comfortable enough with him to try and stop him from leaving the room. He's manipulating you._

"Good night," he said.

"Night," she replied automatically.

He turned and left, walking out the front door like an ordinary human being.

She gathered her plate and utensils and moved them to the sink. She didn't like the idea of leaving a mess for someone else to clean up, but her brain felt like a wrung sponge. She needed to curl up in bed.

Before she went upstairs, she turned on the lights and proceeded to blow out all the candles. It was oddly satisfying to extinguish the tiny flames, like she was turning down something that Hunter offered.

She climbed the stairs and turned out the lights, though the floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the dim light of the dusk into her bedroom. She didn't mind. She was in a different universe living on top of a secret, hidden medical facility filled with badly injured metahumans, so the natural nightlight seemed like a wise choice.

As Caitlin sprawled out in bed, she wondered what was happening on Earth-1. Barry probably blamed himself for her capture, and, no doubt, Cisco was designing some kind of super-Vibe technology to get in contact with her, bickering endlessly with Wells. At first, picturing everyone on Earth-1 made her smile, but then her happiness turned to worry.

What if they were concocting some ridiculous rescue mission? Wells and Barry wouldn't be stopped by a handful of impossibilities. Her stomach ached as she considered the number of things that could go wrong, not the least of which included running into a vengeful Zoom.

She sat up, her mind racing. She needed to find a way to contact them, if for no other reason than to assure them that she safe for now at least. Zoom was playing the long game, so there was no need to rush into a risky plan.

Hunter didn't seem concerned about her contacting other people. The Comet had internet connection. She could probably get her hands on a phone, but nothing that could reach Earth-1.

 _Unless Vibe reaches out._

Cisco had contacted Zoom about Wally and spoke across universes with little more than Jay's helmet to connect them.

 _So why hasn't he contacted me?_

Cisco had plenty of Caitlin's personal effects to use to connect with her, yet she hadn't heard a peep. Had he tried and failed? Worse, had he tried and seen her nearly frozen to death or unconscious in Zoom's clutches?

Caitlin left the bed and wandered downstairs for a glass of water. She could think herself sick, cycling through every worst case scenario, but it wouldn't help anybody. As she climbed the stairs back to her room, she warily considered her options and came up empty. She wasn't going to figure anything out tonight. She'd have to start tomorrow. 

* * *

The next morning, Hunter transferred all the clothing he stored at the Roost to his new hideaway, which was far from prying eyes and uncompromised.

He had grown up with nothing. The orphanage provided him with a kind of dreary uniform of dark slacks and long-sleeved shirts, even in the dog days of summer. When he'd first get them, they'd be several sizes too big, and once he grew too large for them, the process would start over, and his too-small clothing would be passed down to the next generation of hapless kids nobody wanted. When he was finally old enough to get a job for some spending money, he had to save up for weeks to buy a pair of jeans, months if he wanted new shoes, and he learned the hard way to hide everything he owned because what wasn't hidden was stolen.

When he finally escaped that place and went to college, he knew nothing about fashion or how to express himself with clothing. He hesitated to ask his classmates, as it meant explaining why he didn't know how to dress himself and that conversation never ended well.

Everything he knew about style and grooming was haphazard and random, and it never bothered him before.

Pretending to be other people didn't count because taking on someone's wardrobe was all about putting on someone else's skin, from a random delivery person to Jay Garrick.

He had never really found the clothing fit _him_. The sole exception was the leather jacket Caitlin had given him for their three-month anniversary. It was black and incredibly comfortable, but what really fit him was who gave it to him. Caitlin had bought the perfect for him, for _Hunter_.

He decided on jeans and a casual dark green v-neck shirt, which felt right. He grabbed a belt, mentally noting that he needed to find one that suited him at a later date, and then donned his jacket. He checked himself in the mirror and was pleased to see Hunter reflected back at him.

It was important for Caitlin to see him like this, as himself.

 _Like it will make a difference._

He returned to the island less than an hour later. He felt acutely aware of his behavior as he crossed the threshold of the door, like every little thing he did was a defining act.

 _You're nervous, you idiot._

Of course he was nervous. He had never mended a relationship in his life, and he had no idea how to do it. Each time he saw Caitlin was another opportunity, but it became more and more difficult for him.

 _Because each time there's more at stake._

He and Caitlin would be together. It might take months or even a few years, but that didn't matter. He felt confident, which was basically a guarantee.

Hunter walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast, setting several slices of bread to toast. He must've arrived later than he intended, for Caitlin appeared only a few minutes later wearing rumpled pajamas and her hair barely tamed by a ponytail.

She was gorgeous.

"Morning," he said. "What would you like?"

"Toast is fine."

"Bacon? Eggs?"

"If you're making them."

She was clearly still sleepy, as she sat at the table and took her head in her hands. He cracked a few eggs open and threw some bacon in, savoring the crackling pop that came from the pan.

Hunter sensed her eyes on his back. No doubt she was wondering why he didn't use his speed to finish in a flash, or why he hadn't ordered someone else to prepare the meal. He wasn't exactly a great cook, but he knew the basics. Jay had always cooked for her after they spent the night together, at least whenever there wasn't some emergency that forced them to race out the door. It was important to remind her of the good memories.

 _That's a new low._

He plated the eggs, bacon, and toast, then carried the dishes to the table. He placed hers in front of her elbows before sitting opposite her.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"How did you sleep?" he asked. "If you - "

"What's going on?" she interrupted.

He paused, buttering a piece of toast in the silence. He had hoped for a more cordial start to the morning.

"Last night, you said you'd tell me," she pressed.

"I suppose we could talk about that," he said. "We've uncovered a major MTU site, one we've been looking for a long time."

"'We'?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, we," he replied. "The MTU has many captives. A lot of metas want to find where their loved ones are being held. We won't strike until we have enough to plan an attack, but when we do, there will be injuries and a lot of them. You should prepare yourself. Unless you plan on letting them suffer to spite me."

They ate for the next few minutes in silence.

"I should go," she said abruptly.

"Go?" he repeated.

"To the site," she said. "I'm going with you."

"Absolutely not," he replied. "I'm not taking you into a warzone."

"A warzone will have people who need my help," she pointed out.

"There are other doctors," he said. "You'll be here, under guard, out of harm's reach."

"Why haven't you brought Killer Frost to Earth-1 yet?" she asked. "Is it the suit?"

At first, he thought the abrupt change in topic was her giving up, but a quick study of her face made it plain that this disagreement was just beginning. It was tempting to lie, but he knew there would be repercussions for any further dishonesty. He needed to avoid that at all costs.

"No, the suit was thoroughly tested," he replied. "It's ready for day-to-day use."

 _She can read you like a book._

He hadn't planned on telling her about Killer Frost's involvement, but there didn't seem to be any way around it.

"So why is she still here?" she asked.

"Because she's participating in the raid," he replied.

"I'm coming with you," Caitlin said stubbornly. "End of discussion."

"You think I won't lock you in a cell to keep you safe?" he asked. "I've already taken you to a different universe."

"You said you'd bring Frost to Earth-1 once the suit was ready," she said. "You promised me. Wasn't the whole point of that to show me I could trust you?"

"I will put her in the pipeline - "

She interrupted, "What if she dies?"

"Caitlin, I - "

"It'd be convenient if she did," she interrupted. "You bring her on a dangerous raid, and she dies. Then it's not your fault you can't keep your promise."

His patience was wearing thin.

"That is not why she is coming," he said loudly. He curbed his anger and continued, "When she heard what was happening, she volunteered. You don't have to believe me. You can ask her yourself."

"If she goes, I go."

How could someone he cared so much about inspire so much rage? Didn't she realize that all he wanted was to keep her safe? That losing her would destroy him?

 _She thinks that's all a lie, and that's entirely your fault._

"Caitlin - "

"If she does, I go."

"You are not going!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the table.

She flinched, and the fear on her face was enough to make him ashamed of his anger. Unfortunately, that only spurred him closer to the edge, the all-too-familiar combination of anger and shame raising his demons from the shadowy recesses of his soul.

He saw her jaw flutter slightly, like his plan to keep her safe was a bitter pill to swallow. Most women would be happy he cared enough to protect them.

 _She's not most women._

Having no idea what to do next, he continued eating, hoping she would do the same. It didn't take him long to finish, but she was still playing with the crusts of her toast, her dainty fingers holding only the very edge, ensuring she could cover as much as possible with yolk. It was an adorable habit.

When Caitlin finally looked up at him, her face was completely calm. He relaxed.

"If you think raising your voice and pounding your fist on the table is enough to get your way," she said harshly, "then you don't know me at all."

 _Do NOT lose your temper._

Hunter was not well-practiced in self-control, and though Caitlin's voice was strong, he could feel how scared she was. She hadn't been scared of Jay, not even after he and Wells traded blows in the cortex.

In the protracted silence that followed her statement, a look crossed her face. He knew it well because he saw it in his nightmares. It was the same look his mother had when his father wouldn't stop shouting, which happened pretty much every day after he returned from the war. He didn't know it back then, but that was the look people got when someone they loved terrified them.

 _Calm down. Don't become your father._

The very last thing he should've thought about was his parents. It never came to any good, and it certainly never calmed him down.

Hunter should leave. He needed space to calm himself down.

"I brought you here to keep you safe," he said, his voice rising. "To protect you. I won't let you run into danger, and if I have to lock you in the prison wing to make sure you stay safe, I'll do it. Do not make me."

"I'm not making you do anything," she replied, raising her voice to match his. "You dragged me into this!"

"Caitlin - "

"I'm already your prisoner," she continued, as if he had said nothing, her voice now calm and strong. "So if you won't take me seriously and bring me on this raid, then just... just stop pretending. Stop acting like you care about me, about who I am. Do what you do with all your other prisoners, lock me in a cell and stop lying to me."

"I'm not pretending!" he bellowed. "Do you have any idea how much I've done to keep you safe?!"

She glared at him, and it did nothing but fuel his rage. He stood up from his seat, the adrenaline making both his mind and his heart race. Everything was happening at all once, and he couldn't think.

"YOU ARE NOT GOING!" he barked. "And if you knew what was good for you, you'd stop trying my patience!"

Then he marched out of the room, straight through the front door, slamming it behind him. He needed to run. He needed to race around the entire world just to make it all stop.

...

Hunter raced to the Roost, letting the SpeedForce burn away the fury bubbling up inside him. He didn't stop running until he reached the back lab.

He paced at lightning speed, trying to contain his rage. The argument with Caitlin had brought things to the surface better left forgotten in the shadowy depths. And not just the memory of his parents. He vividly recalled his many interrogations of Killer Frost. Even during his most wrathful moments, questioning her had been... difficult, given her mild resemblance to his Caitlin. It was lucky that her will had died with Deathstorm; she cracked with little effort on his part. Still, he never really trusted her answers, not even when Totem stepped in and confirmed everything. She had no reason to protect Frost, but she was against violence. She might've concealed things to prevent further injury, even to an enemy.

Oddly, at that point, Totem need not have bothered. Hunter couldn't bring himself to harm her again. He couldn't handle another scream from her lips. Just thinking about it conjured the horrible sound in his head, echoing over and over, overwhelming his senses.

 _"Hunter, run!"_

 _He turned to escape, but his father grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks and spinning him around._

 _"Stay, boy!" his father ordered._

 _His father placed his helmet from the War of the Americas on his head, staring him down as if daring him to flinch and dislodge it. Hunter was surprised at how heavy it was. The way his father wore it, it seemed as light as a feather, but to him, it felt like an unforgiving boulder._

 _"You're gonna wanna see this," his father said._

 _Hunter looked at his mother as the tears poured down her cheeks. He wanted to do as she said, to run, but he couldn't leave her, not like this. More than anything, he wanted her to know that he wasn't staying because his father ordered him. He stayed because he could now see how frightened she was, he couldn't leave her side._

 _His mother was the one who stayed by his bedside when he was too afraid to sleep at night. She had never failed to help him face his fears. How could he abandon her the first time she needed him?_

 _Hunter wanted to do what she did for him. He wanted to tell her that everything would be all right, and he knew he could. She had taught him how. All he needed to do was go to her, take her hand, and lead her out of the house, and then everything would -_

 _BANG! BANG!_

 _The explosion of sound made his ears ring. Hunter had never heard gun go off before - except on the television - and he hadn't been prepared. So it took him a moment to realize that his face and pajamas had been spattered with blood, though the helmet had been spared._

 _His eyes returned to his mother, who was crumpled on the floor, panic written all over her face._

 _"I need a damn smoke," his father grunted as he put the gun down on the living room table._

 _Then he went out to the porch, walking like he wasn't covered in blood. Hunter could see the lighter flicking on in the night air, just outside the front door._

 _The helmet fell when Hunter ran to his mother. He could still fix this. Now that they were together, everything would be okay._

 _He curled up next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She was in pain, he could tell, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help._

 _"Hunter," she whispered, her voice halted. "I... love... you."_

 _"It's okay, Mom," he replied. "Everything's going to be okay."_

 _Her hand, cold and clammy, covered his cheek, and she smiled at him with a fresh batch of tears. He mirrored her action and put his had on her chin, inadvertently smearing blood across her fair skin._

 _"It'll be okay, Mom," he repeated._

 _"Hunter," she said one last time._

 _She had more to say, he could tell, but an unnatural stillness fell over her as her hand fell to the floor. And her eyes... something happened to her eyes._

 _"Everything's going to be okay, Mom," he repeated. "I promise. I_ promise _."_

 _He kept promising her until the police came and pried him away from her. He kept repeating that promise in his head, refusing to move, right up until they brought in the black bag to carry her body away._

 _When they zipped it closed and wheeled her away, he learned that nothing would be okay ever again. Maybe it never was, and he was only just realizing it._

Reeling from the memories, Hunter retreated, ripping off his mask and collapsing on the cot. He focused his energy on what was important, taking deep breaths to chase away his demons, even if only for a little while. The shaking abated almost immediately, but the lingering memory of hopelessness persisted, as it always did. He'd never managed to chase off the bleakness - the sliver of darkness that stuck hard in his heart - from that night.

He took another deep breath and smiled. Caitlin had slept in this cot not long ago, and her scent remained, a faint reminder that he wasn't alone anymore. He wasn't stranded in the shadows as the monster waiting to attack.

 _Except you are._

But not all the time, not anymore. After he became free of the insane asylum, he wasted all his time as one alter-ego or another because the name Hunter Zolomon had been tainted as a serial killer. His father doomed him to a fate he couldn't escape, forever known as the boy whose father murdered his mother in front of him. Nothing else in his life would be remembered, so why bother being a person? Why bother fighting so damn hard when the only possible outcome was failure? Why not embrace the darkness, where whispers couldn't get to him?

 _Caitlin would never do that, and she wouldn't want you to do that either._

That was true, but Zoom still existed - _needed_ to exist - to keep the Cause under control. But Zoom was no longer the largest aspect of himself, not anymore. Hunter was just as much - and as real - a part of him as Zoom, and now he had a reason to rebuild an element of his life, to be a person again.

Not an invented person. Not a masked man. Himself. Really, truly himself.

Caitlin was responsible for that, and how had he repaid her? He put her in mortal danger, threatened to lock her in a cell, and then lost his temper when she stubbornly insisted on being herself. The look on her face... He scared her, and he hated himself for it. How could he prove his love to her if she was afraid of him?

 _Let her go. Bring her home._

No, he couldn't do that. If he returned her to Earth-1, he was all but guaranteeing her death. He knew enough about the future to be certain of that.

It wasn't as if he could simply let Caitlin roam free on Earth-2, not with a doppelganger like Killer Frost, who was a reasonably well-known scientist until an accident transformed her into a literal ice queen. Her story made national news a year ago when her crimes finally landed her on the FBI's most wanted list. The name Caitlin Snow would forever be tainted on Earth-2, just like the name Hunter Zolomon.

Once Frost was out of the picture, he could set up a new identity for Caitlin in this universe, but that required resources and time, especially for fabricated credentials. He could make that work with his later plans, but there was no way for it to serve him in the short term.

 _Stop treating her like a prisoner._

Hunter didn't like his options. He couldn't leave things as they were. He had to do something to show her how serious he was about their relationship, but he couldn't leave her unprotected, which severely limited his options.

 _Caitlin doesn't sit on the sidelines, and she won't let you control her._

He needed to find a way to treat her like an equal - or at least a partner - while keeping a watchful eye on her, keeping her safe. It was an impossible task, given that the woman demanded to be part of a major strike force that was going after an enemy stronghold with unknown defenses, all because she suspected him of ulterior motives.

There was nothing for it. He had to find a way to included her in the raid on the MTU, and whatever her involvement, he couldn't allow her to be harmed.

He smiled as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps there was a way to keep her safe and bend the situation to his advantage. Now that the daunting task of repairing his relationship with Caitlin had a way forward, he felt better. Calmer. More in control.

He pulled his mask back on. No matter what, he needed more intelligence before the raid, and Hunter was ready to make the MTU bleed for all its sins. 

* * *

Caitlin sat frozen at the table for longer than she'd like to admit. Hunter had been radiating fury when he stormed out, and the blue electricity lighting up his skin underscoring his anger.

For a moment before he left, she thought he might come back into the room, and she didn't dare move, as if keeping still would protect her somehow. She'd never lived like this before, stuck with no way out in a place with someone who terrified her.

She couldn't escape him, and his emotions were wild, nearly impossible to predict. She and Jay had disagreed before, but he had never lost his cool. Not like that. Never like that.

 _Jay was never real. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

She was just starting to realize how little she knew about Hunter.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. If this was her life - her real life, back on Earth-1 - she would go to Cisco or Barry about it. One of them would know what to say to make everything right again. Then she'd curl up on one of the cots in the medical bay and fall asleep, and when she'd wake up, she'd be ready to face the world.

Caitlin took her plate to the sink before she went upstairs. She wanted to curl up in bed, but she knew she wouldn't fall asleep, not after that. So she showered and dressed as if nothing was amiss.

But, of course, everything was falling apart.

She went down to the Comet and checked on Blink Junior. His vitals were stable, so she went to the office to plan the rest of her day.

As she approached the door, she heard angry voices.

"If he was your son, you'd be singing a different tune!" someone shouted.

"What you are asking, I cannot do!" another woman yelled.

"So the answer is to do nothing?"

Caitlin went inside and found Totem talking with a dark-skinned woman with a buzz cut. They both clammed up when they saw her.

She asked, "Is everything all right?"

"Bellatrix, this is Blink," Totem said. "Blink, Bellatrix. She's the doctor treating your son."

"Good, then maybe you can talk sense to this fool," Blink said. "This woman can help people heal by creating psychic links with animals, but she won't help my son."

"I thought your son was already bonded to Scout," Caitlin said.

"He is," Totem said. "I bonded him with the best possible match."

"And that's how his healing is augmented," Caitlin added. "In a few weeks, his eyes will be back to normal. We can wake him from the coma in a week."

"A week," Blink repeated, the word bitterly leaving her tongue. "If this woman would listen to me, he'd be awake in a few days!"

"You don't know what you're asking!" Totem retorted.

"Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere," Caitlin interjected. "Totem, what do you mean?"

"She wants me to bind her and her son," Totem replied. "It is forbidden."

"I don't give a damn about forbidden!" Blink countered.

"Will it help Blink Junior?" Caitlin asked.

"No! Psychic bonds do not work this way," Totem replied. "Between human and animal, there is a clear hierarchy, but from person to person? The imbalance creates discord in the soul. The recipient might heal, but the anchor will fall apart. If you are lucky, it will kill you. Otherwise, it will drive you insane until you take your own life."

"So all we do is nothing?" Blink asked, her voice filled with defeat.

"Your son is stable," Caitlin explained. "He's healing. Any medical treatment we attempt now will only make things worse and slow his recovery. I promise you, I will monitor him closely. He'll have everything he needs."

"You've been here for how long, exactly?" Blink asked. "Your promises mean nothing."

"She lives upstairs," Totem pointed out. "Because the people who made this place - who keep this place safe - trust her more than anyone."

"Maybe I don't care who the Flash trusts," Blink retorted. "I have work to do. Don't think this conversation is over."

Then she teleported into the hallway. Caitlin felt pulled in a thousand directions. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the name 'Flash', as if it meant Jay Garrick would return.

 _Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

"Her anger poisons her," Totem remarked. "She was not like this before."

"You mean, before the MTU took her son?"

Totem nodded.

"I understand," she replied. "She wants her son back, and she's worried about his recovery. I can't blame her for being angry."

"You're unwell."

"I thought I could check in on a few patients," Caitlin said, not wanting to talk about her argument with Zoom. "I also wanted to speak with Killer Frost. I was told she was on the prison ward."

"Zoom told you?" Totem prompted.

Caitlin nodded her head, yes.

"This not your fault," she continued. "He is not your fault. Neither is his temper. Even he knows this."

There was a long, stiff silence. Totem must've realized that Caitlin wasn't going to respond because she changed the topic without prompting.

"The prison ward is on the bottom floor," she said. "Junior is your only patient."

"That can't be true," Caitlin replied. "This place is enormous."

"The others are being evacuated to another facility," Totem replied. "Most here need no medical treatment, only a safe place to rest."

"So why move them now?"

"The Cause is going on the offensive. We need this center clear for the wounded."

"So you're moving everybody?" Caitlin asked.

"Not patients like Junior, who need constant care. Some will be here longer than others. I created a roster for your reference. I left it on your desk. If you want to see the prisoners, do it today. They will remain here, but lockdown may begin as early as tomorrow. That means no visitors."

"Thank you, Totem."

"I must go," she replied. "Have a good day, Bellatrix."

Then she left the room.

Caitlin went over to the desk and found the roster, which easily had over a hundred names on it. She waited inside, hesitating to go to the elevator, collecting her thoughts. If she visited the prisoner ward first, then she could make rounds on the lower levels. Even if the patients didn't need medical attention, it would give her insight on the Cause, which she knew nothing about.

Her mind made up, she went to the elevator and pushed the button for the bottom floor.

What exactly was her plan? She was going down to ask Killer Frost if Zoom strong-armed her into going on a dangerous operation against the MTU? So what if he had? How could she help Frost if Zoom wanted her dead? Obviously, she couldn't count on talking him out of it.

 _Even if you tried, he'd want something in return._

No, she wasn't going down that road. She couldn't convince Hunter to become a better person to win her affections. She was just having a bad day. Or, rather, several bad days. She was shaken up, but she would be all right.

She had to be.

It felt like the elevator took an eternity to reach the bottom floor. The doors opened to a level that looked similar to the lair in the mountains with stone walls and poor lighting. When she stepped into the dim glow, she noticed that the carbyne cells were larger, about eight by eight, each with a bed. There were sixteen cells separated by blinder walls.

"Well, if it isn't Wonder Woman herself," Frost said.

She was in the first cell on the left, and it seemed like she had a rough night. Her bed was in complete disarray, and a ruthless anxiety clung to her.

Caitlin did a double-take when she saw the new suit. The fabric seemed to be leather, though she knew that wasn't possible. Even with a controlled reaction, white phosphorus required special synthetic materials to contain it. It resembled Killer Frost's leather pants and jacket, and it fit her form, hugging and highlighting every curve, somehow making her breasts more prominent, even though it covered most of her skin, save for the short v-shaped collar that revealed a sliver of her fair skin.

She found herself imagining Hunter constructing the suit, crafting something to her exact measurements, which he'd come to know so well those four months they were together. At first she felt a flattered and just a little bit shy, but the pleasantly familiar sensation vanished rapidly in the face of her rising embarrassment. The image of Hunter's smirking, satisfied face enraged her, so much so that she had to force herself to examine her surroundings to eject the infuriating mental image.

Her emotions were all over the place, constantly swirling between anger and something akin to longing. It was like two snakes entwined, the more they struggled to escape one other, the more entangled they became. She couldn't think herself out of it.

She closed her eyes. She needed to stop thinking, to stop feeling, because any moment now her face and neck would flush. The very last thing she wanted was to listen to Frost comment on her fluster.

Caitlin breathed and a small smile came to her. Focusing on her doppelganger worked. She turned back to the cell, surprise to see that her double didn't seem at all interested in her odd reaction.

Frost said, "A little bird told me you would come to see me."

"Who told you that?"

"Oh, didn't you come to visit me?" Frost taunted. "Or did you come to wave hello to your masked friend instead?"

The man in the mask - who was listed as Sonic Boom on the roster - was at the far end of the floor in the last cell, sprawled out on his bed. It seemed like he was asleep.

"He's been really living it up since we got moved here," Frost sneered.

"I came to talk to you, about the raid," Caitlin said.

"You mean the MTU facility we're going to destroy? What about it?"

"You don't have to go."

"Oh, please. Of course I do," Frost said. "Not just because it gets me out of this cave, either. Those bastards have my mother."

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, she's a frigid narcissist," Frost continued as if Caitlin hadn't said anything. "But she's family."

"Why would the MTU take your mother?"

"Is everybody from your earth this naïve?" Frost asked. "Isn't it obvious? The MTU wants to know everything about metahumans. That includes why some people have active meta-genes while others remain inactive. Last I checked, genes are inherited."

Caitlin didn't think it was possible to hate the MTU any more, but apparently she was wrong.

"But we - you - don't have the meta-gene," Caitlin pointed out.

"They didn't know that," she replied. "And trust me, they don't care. That just makes me more interesting. That makes you and Mom interesting, too."

Frost gave her a wicked grin before continuing, "Tell me something. What makes you so damn special?"

"Nothing," Caitlin replied. "I'm... I don't have powers."

"Oh, you have _something_ ," Frost said pointedly. "For weeks, I sat in that tiny, voyeuristic cell wondering when Zoom would finally kill me. Then, out of the blue, you turn up, and all hell breaks loose."

"Because it was quiet and normal before?"

"When Zoom takes people, they disappear," Frost replied. "They don't reappear with shiny new suits."

"Your powers are unique," Caitlin pointed out. "Maybe Zoom needs you."

"Zoom doesn't _need_ anybody," Frost retorted. "Uses people, maybe, but he never needs them. Whatever's going on, it's not because of me. It must be you."

Before Caitlin could think of a response, her double continued. "I don't care about the details. All I want to know is, do you have enough juice to protect Mom? Because even if I make it out alive, I won't be sticking around."

Killer Frost came off as cavalier, a woman with nothing to lose now that Deathstorm was dead, but in this moment, nothing could be further from the truth. She was devastated and angry, but most of all, she didn't want to lose the last person that she loved.

"I will," Caitlin replied quietly. "I'll find a way, I promise."

"Let's hope you're as good as your little friend Cisco said," Frost replied, her snide attitude returned in full force.

Frost began to pace in her cell, and it was pretty clear she had no intention of continuing the conversation. Caitlin walked to the end of the level to see how the other prisoner was fairing, but her approach didn't elicit a response, probably because he was sleeping, though the mask made it difficult to tell.

The mask was very large, and it made the man appear impossibly tall, especially with blankets obscuring his body. Hunter had said that he spared Frost because of her resemblance to Caitlin, though that could've easily been a lie. Still, there must be a reason that, out of all his enemies, only these two had been captured and kept alive.

She couldn't hope to solve that particular riddle without more information. All she knew about him was that he was a large man who went by the alias Sonic Boom. She could wake him and try to speak with him, but it was still early in the morning. Perhaps it was better to let him rest.

Caitlin returned to the elevator and went up one floor to make rounds on any patients on that level. All the rooms were empty except for the recreation room, which was brimming with people, most were children or teenagers. She didn't want to interrupt, especially not for an unnecessary introduction to a doctor who wouldn't treat any of them, so she continued up to the next floor.

To her surprise, the next four floors were exactly the same. According to the roster, each of the bottom levels were at full capacity, but all of them were perfectly ambulatory.

The Comet was more of a refugee center than a hospital.

Before she could continue onto the next floor, her stomach growled. She hadn't realized that it was nearly one in the afternoon, which was especially problematic as she was supposed to check on Blink Junior over an hour ago.

She went up to the top level to check on her patient, who was still stable and healing. Then she went upstairs to make something for lunch and found a turkey club sandwich and chips waiting for her. She was too ravenous to think about who made the sandwich or even wonder if it was for her. As far as she knew, she was the only one in the house on a permanent basis. As far as she knew, she was the only one who had nowhere else to go.

The thought made her feel a little claustrophobic, like she had been stuck inside far too long. So she took the plate outside and enjoyed a walk on the beach in the sunlight. The warmth on her skin felt good, so she found a nice spot to sit and eat. It was tempting to avoid responsibility and stay outside all day, but Junior required monitoring. She couldn't abandon him.

So she returned to the Comet, where she ran into Totem and Terra Firma in the hall. They both looked frazzled.

"I had a question, if you have a moment," Caitlin said.

"Only a moment," Totem replied.

"I noticed that many of the patients on the bottom floors were children. There were a handful of young adults, but as far as I could tell, no parents. Are they not allowed?"

Totem raised a questioning eyebrow, but she shook her head, no.

"The bottom levels contain patients from orphanages," she explained. "The closest thing most of them have to parents are Ghost and Cloak."

"Ghost and Cloak?" Caitlin repeated. "I assume they're also metahumans?"

"Siblings who watch over the kids," Totem replied. "They act more as guardians than parents."

"I haven't see them."

"You would not see them, Bellatrix. Not unless they wished it."

Caitlin wasn't sure if Totem was implying that the sibling caretakers were stealthy or invisible, but given their names, both scenarios seemed possible.

"Apologies, but we have much work to do," Totem said.

"One more question," Caitlin said.

It was ridiculous to ask, especially now, but the impulse had gotten the better of her. She might as well follow through.

"What kind of animal would I be paired with? For bonding?"

Totem smiled, and there was something about it that felt genuine, honest.

"It is less about the kind and more about the individual," Totem said. "Though I suspect the best match for you would be among the great long-legged birds. A heron or a crane perhaps. But, the right bonding match can come from any species. Sometimes such things surprise you."

With that, she swept out of the room with by Terra Firma, leaving Caitlin alone.

And that's how she spent the rest of her day, save for her hourly check-ins on Junior and Scout the Macaw. She decided to use the rest of the afternoon to learn about Earth-2's emergency medicine, which was incredibly advanced. She then made the unfortunate decision to read up on known anti-metahuman technology in preparation for anyone who might be wounded during the raid on the MTU.

She was ready to call it a night as soon as the clock hit five. Reading about horrific weapons designed to maim people with meta-powers made the hours feel like eons.

Caitlin sat in Junior's room for over half an hour. He didn't need monitoring or company, but she did. How many more like Junior suffered because they had powers or - if Frost was to be believed - related to someone with powers.

She didn't know why she thought sitting with Junior would help. He was only in this bed because of the MTU, and he seemed so small with all the tubes and wires sticking out of him.

It made her angry.

How many Earth-2 metahumans would've become heroes like Barry if they weren't afraid of the MTU? Would Reverb have worked for Zoom if they weren't hunting metas? What about Deathstorm and her own doppelganger?

She couldn't take it anymore, so she went upstairs to the house and found a basket of breadsticks next to a note about meatloaf in the oven. There was nothing to indicate that she needed to wait for company, so she served herself and ate alone at the table, hoping Hunter would stay away. She didn't want to face him, not after the draining day she had had.

 _It would be nice to have some company, though._

Caitlin ate quickly, nearly giving herself heartburn as she wolfed down her meal. She felt exposed on the ground floor and wanted to go to her room, even though she would be just as alone there.

She took a few minutes to wash her dishes and store rest of the food in the fridge before she went upstairs for the night. She had the whole evening ahead of her and nothing to do, so she paced for quite some time, trying to think her way out of her situation.

The trouble was that, crazy as it seemed to her, Zoom might not be the most dangerous thing in this universe. If the MTU was interested in anyone who shared Frost's DNA, certainly her powerless doppelganger would qualify. Even if she could find a way to escape Hunter and return to Earth-1, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow be abandoning people over here, leaving them to suffer and die.

She bit her lip. Hunter had wanted her to pick a side, and whether she liked it or not, her conscience had chosen to protect metahumans from torture, abuse, and experimentation.

 _It's not your universe. It's not your fight._

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe she just felt obligated. Maybe that was Hunter's plan from the start. Maybe that was why he brought her to the Comet.

She decided that, until she could feasibly escape to Earth-1, she wouldn't worry about the moral dilemma. She crawled into bed that night and wasted hours tossing and turning, her mind unable to rest until she drifted into an uneasy sleep, where even her dreams were filled with shadow. 

* * *

**About four months ago in January...** _Caitlin was alone somewhere dark and cold. She blinked her eyes several times, but they refused to adjust to the darkness. She couldn't see._

 _Where was she? How did she get here?_

 _She tried to shift only to realized she was paralyzed. Lights came on, blindingly bright, and she was surrounded by people in white scrubs and masks. That, combined with their thick, heavy gloves made it clear that they were surgeons. She was about to go under the knife. Pain overwhelmed her, and terror soon followed. She wanted to cry out for help, but she couldn't speak. She couldn't do anything._

 ** _Need to repeat._**

 _Everything went dark again, but this time, she was in a dark, circular room with Grodd. His thoughts echoed in her head._

 ** _Need to repeat Grodd._**

 _But she didn't know how to make another gorilla like him, not without another particle accelerator explosion, and she couldn't make one happen, not even if she wanted to. She opened her mouth to explain, but she still couldn't talk._

 ** _Caitlin... always kind. Caitlin... will... learn!_**

 _She couldn't breath. She collapsed, gasping for air, crawling away. Something heavy pressed into her back, pinning her to the ground._

 ** _Flash is my enemy. Now you, too, Caitlin._**

 _No, no, no. She could help Grodd. She'd find a way to help him. None of this was his fault. If only she could tell him..._

Darkness descended and the cool air became warmer, almost too hot to bear.

Caitlin woke up and struggled against the sheets, rolling over before sitting up straight, her body covered in sweat and her arms trembling. She threw the comforter off, but it didn't go far because she was tangled up in the covers. She needed to escape his her nightmare just as much as the heat.

"Caitlin?"

The muffled voice startled her, so she flailed even more, wrenching herself from the covers and nearly falling out of bed. The cold night air touched her sweaty, bare skin, and she sighed in relief, though only moments later it proved too cold for her liking.

"Caitlin? Are you all right?"

She turned to see Jay sitting upright against the headboard, his eyes filled with concern. At least, that explained why she had so much trouble getting the covers off. After Ronnie died, she got used to sleeping alone, and she still hadn't adjusted to Jay, who took up more than half the bed.

"I'm fine," she said.

It wasn't remotely true, especially now that she was so cold she was shivering on the floor beside her bed.

Jay got up and came around to her side, lifting her off the floor without a word. She leaned into the warmth of his flesh, curling against his neck as he turned to put her down on the bed.

"You're freezing," he said as he pulled the covers back over her.

"Just a bad dream," she muttered by way of explanation.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, facing her. He brushed her hair out of her face and then cupped her cheek.

"Cait," he said softly. "Everything's going to be okay."

She forced herself to look at him, to really see the man sitting naked in front of her. She thought she might fall into his eyes and lose herself there, so very far away from the dangers in her life and the nightmares they inspired.

"It was about Grodd," she said.

"The telepathic gorilla?"

She nodded her head, yes, and something flickered across his face before he clenched his jaw.

"I should've been there," he said, his hand falling from her face. "But Grodd's gone now, and he won't hurt you again."

"That was the worst part," she said. "He didn't want to hurt anyone. He just didn't want to be alone anymore."

"And thanks to you, he's not," Jay replied. "The sanctuary on Earth-2 is the closest thing to his natural habitat."

"I had to trick him," she said. "I tried to explain, but... he came to me for help, and I helped shove him through a portal. I don't even know where he is."

"He's free," Jay replied. "Probably king of the jungle by now."

"But what if he's still alone?"

"You think he's the only giant telepathic gorilla on Earth-2?" he asked.

She couldn't help but smile. How did he always know what to say? A few months ago she was just starting to imagine what her future would be like without Ronnie. After she lost him the second time, her heart turned to ice, still and solid through and through. When Cisco lured her back to STAR Labs during the Atom Smasher investigation, she put up a good front and went through the hundred thousand motions that made up Caitlin Snow, back before her dreams revolved around her husband vanishing into a deep, dark nothingness that loomed overhead, slowly but surely blackening her entire world. Then Jay walked into the Cortex, a hero who'd lost something, a better part of himself. Maybe that's why she felt so connected to him when they first met, it was like looking into a broken mirror and seeing countless slivers of herself reflected back.

Now that the same man sat nude in front of her, holding her hand and making her forget her bad dreams with a smile. Somehow between then and this moment, her heart thawed, and all those broken shards came together.

 _Sleep deprivation apparently builds introspection._

"Aren't you cold?" she asked, suddenly aware of the lingering silence.

"No, of course not," he replied. But then he added, "Maybe a little."

She slid one hand up his arm to his neck, then down his chest, while the other wandered to his thigh. His eyes darkened as his pupils blew wide with desire, and he sucked in a hard, sharp breath.

He leaned across her for a kiss, which was surprisingly chaste, a little pressure on her lips, before his forehead leaned against her. She brought them together again, this time nibbling at his bottom lip. She rubbed his inner thigh, and he groaned at the contact, leaving his mouth open to her mid-kiss. She took full advantage, darting her tongue inside his inviting mouth, which was warm, almost too hot, for her. She pulled away to catch her breath.

"Cait?" Jay asked, his voice sultry yet full of concern. "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him and replied, "Everything's going to be okay." 

* * *

**Here and now...** Caitlin must've fallen asleep at some point during the late hours of the night, because she opened her eyes to a blindingly bright dawn. She had a headache and felt more tired than the night before, but the sunlight flooding her room made it impossible to sleep any longer.

She went down to the kitchen, dreading the possibility of having to deal with Hunter, only to find it empty. A box of her favorite granola bars was set out on the counter. She poured herself a glass of water and took the entire box up to her room. If she was going to eat breakfast alone, she might as well enjoy the view.

She should've gotten used to eating breakfast alone since Jay's "death" on Earth-1. She had gone from sharing every meal with somebody to skipping most of them all together, subsisting on small bites from the protein bars Cisco made for Barry's Speedster-amplified metabolism. If she put any more effort into something as simple as eating, that would be like stopping and resting, and she couldn't do that. Because if she stopped, she'd have to feel, and that was the one thing she couldn't handle well. She would've fallen apart.

When she pulled out a granola bar, a folded note came out with it. The majority of the note was typed, with only the postscript written out, and though the penmanship was shaky, she recognized Jay's - Hunter's - handwriting.

 _Dear Caitlin,_

 _I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday morning at breakfast. I regret not telling you in person, but for your safety, I cannot return to the island until my work is complete._

 _PS: We will discuss your involvement in a few days._

Did that mean she didn't have to worry about seeing him for the next few days, or was he telling her not to bring it up until then?

She tucked the note back into the box and left it on her bedside table. She showered, dressed, and went down to the Comet, wondering how long she would be here. Would she get used to this routine before she was uprooted again? Or would Hunter relocate her in a few days on the pretext of keeping her safe?

When she arrived at the office, Totem was setting up a monitor.

"Good, you are here," she said. "This has an internet connection with restricted access."

"Thank you," Caitlin replied.

"Blink and I have business elsewhere," Totem explained. "I am leaving Junior and Scout in your care. The prisoners will be on lockdown. Doctor Midnight will take over after six o'clock and continue until you return the next morning."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"Two or three days," Totem replied. "Terra Firma will remain here. If you need anything, tell her, and I'll hear you. Goodbye, Bellatrix."

"Goodbye Totem," she replied.

With that, Totem left, and Caitlin checked in on Junior. She ventured onto a few of the other floors, finding them empty and eerily silent. They must've completed the evacuation yesterday.

She returned to the office and cast a wary glance at the pile of papers she had read through the other day. On Earth-1, she investigated the unknown and the constant danger that came with it, but she always knew who she was and where she stood. She couldn't say the same thing about Earth-2, where she spent most of her time baffled by people's cruelty.

Still, how could she be fighting on the right side when that meant working with Zoom?

Caitlin shook her head. She needed to prepare herself, and the only way to do that was to keep reading. Every hour she went to check on Junior, verifying his health and spending five or ten minutes with him. After that, she returned to the office, where she combed through patient files and cross-referenced information with the database on the computer.

There were case reports about metas who escaped the MTU but died before they could recover. There were a number who survived physically but had to be moved to a full-time care facility referred to as Paradise, which she thought was a euphemism until she read the file on a metahuman called Zephyr.

Caitlin assumed it was one of the Earth-2 Martin brothers, since the file described a metahuman with the ability to manipulate the weather. Unlike his Earth-1 counterpart, Weather Wizard, however, Zephyr struggled to control his abilities, which flared up when he was under duress. When his nightmares began to cause tornadoes and hurricanes, the Cause relocated him to Paradise to contain him and protect him from the MTU, which was always closing in on his location. According to his file, he had to take two doses of sodium oxybate each night to ensure his power didn't manifest during the dreaming stage of sleep. Zephyr left Paradise after he successfully gained control over his powers about eight months ago, but than about six weeks ago, he vanished while on mission on the east coast.

Wherever Paradise was, it must be a facility much like the Comet, only much larger, if the number of patients there was any indication. She had to guess because no file gave any further detail other than the location's codename.

After lunch, she decided to do what she thought Barry would do and began to set up boards, laying out events like a timeline, trying to make some kind of sense of the MTU's activities. Unfortunately, she barely scraped the surface before the alarm for six o'clock sounded.

Caitlin wanted to stay longer, but Doctor Midnight appeared and promptly relieved her of her post, demanding that she leave and rest for the night. Though Midnight said nothing of it, she had no doubt that Zoom had been very particular about those orders. She thanked the other doctor and went upstairs.

She found herself wondering if maybe Hunter had good reason to become Zoom.

 _Hunter became Zoom because he could. He didn't have a reason, and he doesn't have one now._

She found dinner prepared and the table set. There was corn-on-the-cob, roast beef, and peas, which happened to be one of her favorite meals. There was only enough for one serving, so she didn't wait for company to start eating. None came.

She wondered who was responsible for cooking and cleaning, as they seemed to come and go without her knowing. She ate alone and quickly, and then proceeded to do all the dishes, feeling slightly guilty that some poor minion had been roped into doing basic chores for her.

For the second night in a row, she tossed and turned for quite a while before she was able to fall asleep.

The next four days continued in much the same way. Each day, a phantom chef prepared three meals for her, and she spent her days in the Comet, checking in on Junior and reading about horrors of Earth-2 anti-meta technology and the MTU.

She tried to engage Doctor Midnight - which was actually a title that many people used, as a differ person came in each night - in conversation but was completely shot down. Either part of the title was being terse, or they were given orders not to fraternize with her. She couldn't tell.

It felt unreal. She had never spent so much time alone in her life, and the lack of sunlight wasn't doing her any good.

So much so that, on the fifth day, she brought her lunch outside again, returning to that same spot on the beach. Unfortunately, neither the waves of the ocean nor the rays of the sun made up for the complete lack of company.

She slipped her shoes off so that she could feel the sand between her toes as she walked back to the house. She indulged in the reprieve for a few minutes before she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Someone was watching her.

It was more than that, though. She couldn't explain it, but whoever it was, she wasn't afraid.

"Cisco? Is that you?" she asked.

No response came, and the feeling passed. Which meant she had just spoken to herself, or at best, asked the ocean if its name was Cisco. She returned to the Comet despondent and lonely, and she doubted it would get better anytime soon.

Yes, the isolation was definitely getting to her.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter comes from the Arabic name for the constellation Orion, Al-Jabbar, which means 'the giant.' The sixth brightest star in the constellation is called is Saif al-Jabbar, or 'sword of the giant.'

Several characters were mentioned in this chapter:

Blink is the Earth-2 counterpart of Peek-a-boo aka Lashawn Baez in the comics and Shawna Baez on the show. Blink Junior is her son, and his familiar is Scout the Macaw. Caitlin is currently treating him at the Comet.

The Man in the Iron Mask is named Sonic Boom, and he will popup in later chapters. References were also made to the original characters Mirage, Rush, Ghost, and Cloak. They will also appear in later chapters in a limited capacity.

Zephyr and Typhoon were also mentioned in this chapter. All I will say about them right now is that they are the Earth-2 counterparts to people that have appeared on Earth-1.

 **Author's note** : _Orion_ has returned after a brief (unplanned) hiatus. I apologies for the delay in getting this chapter posted. I got a little buried in my entry to the CSBB 2016 challenge, and this particular chapter had to be proofed several times before it was ready to post. From now on, I should be posting new chapters regularly, one every two or three weeks, depending on the length. (And, should another hiatus arise, I **will** add a note about it rather than procrastinate about posting a note about it.)

Thank you for reading and your patience. I hope you enjoy the rest of _Orion_!

* * *

 **Q &A**

* * *

Have a question about _Orion_? Feel free to drop me a line: message me, comment, review, drop me an anonymous ask, whatever works best for you.

 **Warning** : The Question/Answer section may contain hints or spoilers about upcoming chapters.

* * *

 _But I did find myself wondering, when reading the parts that seem to be Jay's POV, why there was never any reflection of his motives as Hunter/Zoom. Perhaps that was part of what Totem was revealing to Caitlin in this chapter?_  
This is difficult to answer without spoiling too much, but I will try. Part of this is related to dissociative states, which was what Totem was pointing out. There's also a practical aspect to it, though. In canon episode 02x22 Invincible, Hunter says, "Doesn't it get exhausting, Barry? It was exhausting playing Jay, believe me."

Though we don't know how much time Caitlin and Jay spent together off screen in canon, I'm guessing it's not nearly as much time as they spent together in _Orion_. It would've been all too easy for him to slip up if he let himself think about the wrong things.


	7. The Heavenly Shepherd

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Additional warnings** : This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence, human experimentation, graphic descriptions of trauma, descriptions of meta-violence, and a lot of other terrible stuff. The other chapters talk about a war zone, but this chapter drags you neck-deep into it.

 **Chapter Summary** : Zoom finally makes his move against the MTU, and Caitlin goes on her first mission as Bellatrix.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**  
 **The Heavenly Shepherd**

* * *

Fort Green stood in the shadow of the Appalachians. It was an unremarkable army base named for an admiral who, some two hundred years ago, did something worthy becoming the namesake of the structure, though most historians maintained that the story was more folk legend than fact. Technically, the fort's mission was a well-guarded secret, but anyone with the right connections could parrot the same report: Fort Greene was where the youngest, greenest recruits and officers went to get whipped into shape with grueling missions deep in the wilderness of the mountains. It was staffed with nothing but untested soldiers and a handful of old timers who were assigned there to wind down their careers.

Perhaps that was why, for four hundred miles in every direction, there was nothing but sleepy towns with five or six thousand souls at most. Neither was there a historical site, landmark, tourist trap, or public attraction of any kind, despite a recent influx in government funds for unspecified infrastructure improvements.

Thirty miles from Fort Greene, there was a four-story office building that, for all outward appearances, was the research and development branch of some company with a very forgettable name. Beyond the locks on its doors, there were no obvious security measures, not even a fence.

There was no reason to suspect that it was the primary stronghold for the Metahuman Tactile Unit.

It was an incredible feat of ingenuity, hiding a fortress in plain sight. An intricate underground tunnel system - expanded exponentially with government funds - enabled the undetected transport of goods, personnel, and prisoners. The supposedly ramshackle army base provided formidable resources when called upon; its phony reputation just one more aspect of the facility's concealment.

For the past two years, countless metahumans had sought this facility, yet Blink tracked it down in two months, mere days after uncovering the MTU's secret weapon. Her sudden, sweeping successes did not go unnoticed, and despite having Totem and several others confirm the voracity of her intel, Hunter felt uneasy by Blink's recent insight into the MTU.

There was only one reasonable conclusion: she had an asset. A prisoner, a minion, a decryption key... _something_ that gave her an edge. Most metas in her position would've handed over whatever-it-was to Zoom as soon as they discovered it, not only to win favor but also to be rid of the responsibility. Blink, however, insisted that her victories required nothing more than her extended teleportation abilities, which Totem had provided at his command several months prior.

Withholding from Zoom was a brazen thing to do: metas had died for far less. That was what bothered him the most. Blink wasn't foolish or suicidal enough to lie to him. Something else was going on; he could feel it.

It left Hunter in a quandary that Zoom never had to face. He had a strict policy of never allowing any meta to become indispensable. Every minion needed to know that if they stepped out of line, they would be killed and replaced without a second thought. Blink had transformed into a key player overnight and was rapidly approaching that "vital" label he so loathed, and now that Caitlin was under his protection, he couldn't let anyone hold that kind of sway. It was only a matter of time before Blink attempted to wrest control of real power.

 _She won't._

He didn't need pitiful self-reassurance. No, what he required was leverage -

 _Blink would never risk her son's wellbeing, let alone his life. Not for anything._

Hunter took a deep breath. He had gotten so wound up that he'd forgotten about her son. Some of his older lieutenants had adult children, but Blink was the only significant player that had a child who depended on her. That made the equation very different.

 _The only thing she might do is take her kid and run. But not now with the MTU hunting them both._

Hunter felt much calmer, much more in control. He had time to figure out Blink's asset and endgame, assuming she had one at all. Until then, he'd keep close tabs on her, and a very durable tracking device on Blink Junior. Just in case.

 _Don't leave her on the front lines._

That brought a smile to his face. Normally, a raid like tonight's would depend on Blink's gift for sabotage and mayhem, and after what the MTU did to her son, she was chomping at the bit to wreak havoc. That meant his precaution would also serve as punishment.

His smile widened. Doling out retribution - even a small one - was well within his comfort zone.

* * *

Caitlin trudged up the stairs to the kitchen, weary to the bone. She hadn't slept well the night previous, tossing and turning with dreams so vivid they allowed her no rest. Actually, it was just the one, over and over again, as if she fell back into the dream as soon as she closed her eyes. One minute, she was in her bed, and the next, she'd be standing outside on the doorstep with a cold wind riffling her hair. A distant silhouette waited on the beach, little more than a hazy shadow on the horizon, yet she felt drawn to it. Her feet would slip through the sands as she rushed to meet whoever awaited her. Each time, she came so very, very close... close enough to recognize Cisco's warm smile right before she jolted awake.

It made her homesick and compounded her loneliness. Maybe that was why she felt disappointed when she found the kitchen empty. That was certainly more palatable than the idea that she, on some level, _wanted_ to see Hunter.

 _No, this is how abuse works_ , she reminded herself. _He gets inside your heart, messes with your head, makes you dependent on him, isolates you. Don't let him win. You didn't want to see him. You wanted to see Cisco or Iris or Barry because you don't want to be alone. You miss_ them _, not him._

She rationalized all the way to her bedroom. Had she not been so mired in her thoughts, she might've noticed the faint scent of electrified iron or the minute signs of disturbance, and she wouldn't have been so startled when she found someone standing by her bed.

After a moment, she realized it wasn't a person but a manikin decked out in a deep blue suit that reminded her of those worn by the various Doctor Midnights. Instead of the symbol of their mantle - a light blue crescent moon - on the forehead, it had a many-pointed star with radiating lines. There were other deviations, such as the cut and color of the trim, which more closely resembled Killer Frost's suit than Doctor Midnight's, yet it still maintained the general look and feel. Anyone would be hard-pressed to distinguish between the two with a quick glance.

Caitlin didn't have to inspect it any further to know that it had been made for her, but she couldn't imagine why. She turned to take in the rest of the room, expecting to see Hunter casually leaning against the far wall smugly waiting to explain everything, but she was alone.

She returned her focus to the suit, wondering after its construction. Usually, designs like this were implemented to resolve environmental issues that arose from meta-powers, like the friction Barry generated when he ran at superspeeds, or to augment and control their abilities, like Cisco's Vibe Goggles. But she had no powers to facilitate or compensate for, so why would someone make her a suit?

That was when she noticed the note on her bedside table.

 _Bellatrix:_

 _Apologies for the delay in dinner. It will be ready at seven._

 _Rest up while you can because, before dawn, you'll be suiting up._

 _Be ready._

It wasn't signed, and she didn't recognize the handwriting. It also didn't sound like something Hunter or Totem would write, and she wondered if the author might be the one responsible for the meals and the general caretaking of the house. She wanted to thank them, whoever they were.

Caitlin's stomach growled loudly. Seven o'clock couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Fire and ice collided, and the resulting tremor shook open the already-cracked walls, splitting them down to the foundation. Cheers of triumph joined the cacophony of destruction as the bulk of the meta-army finally received the signal to attack. The rise in numbers forced their enemies into a hasty and desperate retreat. An unnatural darkness descended over the area and choked out all the lights, compliments of a powerful quasi-mystic named Shade. Hunter never trusted the man, but his ability to manipulate shadows proved invaluable to a siege.

 _But even Shade is expendable,_ he thought as he donned his Nightshade Goggles, designed specifically to see in Shade's overcast.

He winced at the initial brightness, but his sight rapidly adjusted, becoming twice as sharp. He took a moment to watch the throng of metas charge down the brave few who stood their ground to provide cover fire for their fleeing comrades. A handful of stragglers likewise fell under his soldier's advanced, perhaps victims of Deathbolt's blasts or Berserker's unstoppable fists. Wave after wave of his minions flooded the battered facility, making the possibilities truly endless.

He couldn't let them have all the fun, now could he?

He sped into the fray, and to him, everything unfolded in painfully slow motion. It took centuries for the retreating agents to shout, "Zoom! Run! Zoom!" After that, it was eons before they pulled the triggers on their already-raised weapons, and an age before the bullets left their chambers.

Struck with a playful idea, Zoom wound through his enemies and spun them this way and that so that carefully aimed, specially enhanced, anti-metahuman weapons achieved nothing but friendly fire when they discharged.

Normally he would blaze through personnel in a battle, but tonight he had the exotic pleasure of disarming and maiming his foes before leaving them helpless to the wrath of the oncoming storm of his meta-army. The high from running mingled with the euphoria induced by the snapping of bones and the spilling of blood. He got caught up in his revelry, barely noticing Pyranis directing flame like a missile or Scrap effortlessly deflecting the very bullets designed to revert his body from steel to flesh.

He raced ahead, ready to decimate whatever security measures the MTU had mounted in their next feeble defense. This place was like a maze, a castle with countless areas to fortify and fall back to, and he was going to tear every last one of them down.

He was zipping through the next corridor when his feet went out from under him. He was knocked on his ass, blue lightning and all.

 _Looks like you've just met the MTU's secret weapon._

Zoom glanced up at the sole defender of this particular fortification: a woman in her late twenties with a modified assault riffle pointed right at his heart. The orbs of her jade eyes shined unnaturally under the influence of the Nightshade Goggles, flaring dramatically with her medium-length blond hair.

He had more than enough time to take in her features and confirm her identity before the bullets started flying. He dodged them, but it was far from an effortless evasion. It was like he was running through Turtle's field of stolen kinetic energy but fifty times worse. Something was acting like a dampener on his powers... _all_ of his powers, leaving him with only the barest of super-speed.

That, and she was using friction-targeting bullets, which were drawn to him like tiny angry magnets. He took a few hits to his left arm and shoulder before he broke past the dampener and led the bullets into the next hallway, where they struck a handful of MTU reinforcements, cutting them down like a bolt of lightning.

He immediately sought Killer Frost, going so far as to whisk her away before her kill shot hit its mark. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes since he escaped the secret weapon, yet in that time, she had injured Pyranis and Scrap. Her victories drew the attention of the most powerful metas advancing on her position.

It was foolish, but this woman had been responsible for the capture of countless metahumans, including Geomancer, Gigawatt, Count Vertigo, and Silencer. The reports suggested - or, rather, hinted - that she had a resistance to meta-abilities, but if his recent experience was any indication, her abilities were far more expansive. He wanted to see it for himself.

So he dragged Frost behind a secure barricade and watched as Deathbolt delivered blast after blast as he closed in on the seemingly invincible MTU Agent. She dodged a few, but most of them hit her, though they may have been drops of rain for all the effect they had on her. She was remarkably patient, waiting until he was only a few yards away before returning fire, hitting her mark on the second try. Zoom had no idea what kind of weapon discharged, but it made Deathbolt wail in agony as it threw him through a solid wall of cement and steel.

She didn't even notice when lighting charred the floor behind her feet. She rounded on Typhoon when he screamed in a rage. He loosed a dozen more bolts, but each one grounded rather than striking her. Undeterred by the wind and hail of his frustration, she raised a handgun and pulled the trigger over and over again, which Typhoon evaded. It was a simple enough diversion; it kept him occupied as she closed the distance between them. Before she reached him, however, Black Siren let out a screech strong enough to crush a man's skull.

He watched as the energy of her scream rebounded on Black Siren, silencing her booming cry and throwing her clear across the room, where concealed by a barricade caught her. He couldn't see who it was, probably a member of her entourage or one of the other Sirens.

Zoom had seen enough. He didn't have the luxury of being impressed with her, not while she was mowing through his army like The Terminator. She had defended herself against five of his best fighters as many minutes, and beyond that, she had done it all without night vision goggles or any defense against Shade's shadows.

He grabbed Frost's arm and said in his modulated voice, _"Remember, I want her alive."_

She sneered, but he didn't give her time to reply before he sped her into the line of fire. Again, his powers began to dwindle, as if something was leaning on his abilities, choking them off at the source. He skidded to a graceless halt far closer than he had planned, nearly tripping over Frost as he put her down.

"Agent Cameron Chase?" Frost prompted.

"Yeah. And who the hell are you?" Chase demanded.

"Killer Frost."

Zoom bolted from the fray, grabbing Typhoon and relocating him to a high vantage point overlooking the thickest part of the fighting.

" _Destroy them_ ," he ordered.

He left Typhoon before he could reply.

The only true threat in this entire building filled with anti-metahuman measures and weapons was Special Agent Cameron Chase, and he needed to secure her capture before beginning the next phase of his plan. So he raced for a better line of sight and kept moving, diverting overly curious parties while observing the fight.

Chase's assault rifle was discarded, trapped in a solid block of ice. She pulled out one weapon after the other, but Frost froze them before she could fire. Yet she kept going, as if she had an endless supply of firearms inside her coat. He smiled. It had only been a theory until this moment, but Zoom had surmised that someone resistant to meta-powers would be easy prey to an other-powered person who was presumed metahuman. Chase was just like the people she took down: a metahuman too reliant on her own powers. It was clear as day that she had never before faced an opponent with abilities intact.

Killer Frost loosing her powers unencumbered by doubt was a beautiful thing to behold. She was glorious in a fury, though even then, she didn't hold a candle to her Earth-1 counterpart.

His happy thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream.

It came from Frost. He could see her lips move and her face contorted, but it sounded like it emanated from somewhere else. It was like his mind refused to believe that Frost was injured.

But in the next second, black-red blood blossomed over the right side of her suit, spouting from near her collarbone. Chase pressed her advantage, raising a miniscule gun for another shot, only to have Frost retaliate with a harpoon-sized icicle. It was poorly aimed and barely scraped Chase's arm as it pierced her coat and embedded into the wall behind her, trapping her arm and giving Frost the time she needed to turn the pesky gun into an ice cube.

He should've been furious with Frost for attempting to kill Chase, but he found he was more concerned about what Caitlin would do if Frost died from a treatable wound.

 _She would never let you hear the end of it. She will never trust you._

Frost pinned Chase down and frosted-over her coat with a single, chilly finger. The MTU's secret weapon was slowly turning blue.

It was lamentable, but he really _did_ need Chase alive.

He waited until the last second to yank Frost away, earning an icy blast for his trouble. He vibrated it off as he growled at the pain, but in truth, he was pleased. He stood right next to Chase, but this time, his powers were intact.

" _BLINK!_ " he shouted. " _BLINK!_ "

The teleporter appeared as if rising from the mists, her face neutral, though he knew she was furious that he ordered her to wait in the shadows during such a battle.

" _Take Agent Chase!_ " he ordered. "K _eep her sedated in a carbyne cell. I'll call when I need you again._ "

She nodded her head, yes and begrudgingly took hold of the slightly frozen MTU Agent. Then they both vanished into the darkness.

Though nobody could see beneath his cowl, Zoom was smiling like a madman. Now the real fun could begin.

* * *

 **Several hours later...** Caitlin jolted awake, confused. She had been so certain she wouldn't be able to fall asleep when she curled up on top of her bed, but now she couldn't imagine what had so rudely awakened her.

Then, as if her mind was catching up to her senses, the acrid smell of chemicals and blood filled her nostrils, driving her stomach into churning knots. It was the kind of scent that came with a taste, and it was so horrid it made her gag.

"Caitlin?"

He appeared in front of her with his telltale flash of blue lightning, his soft voice a stark contrast to his battered suit.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Her first instinct was to recoil, but there was nowhere for her to go. The offensive odor lingered, burning the inside of her nostrils.

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just... that smell..."

He ripped off his cowl and revealed his sweaty face, and it made her wonder what he had just been through. He seemed off to her, like he had returned to his senses after days of neglect.

 _You're imagining it._

"I apologize, but there's not much time," he explained. "Your suit will protect you, even from the smell. But it's not enough to keep you safe. So if you're serious about coming on this mission, I need you to promise me two things."

"What two things?" she asked, tempted to refuse his requests out of spite.

"You will remain with your bodyguards at all times," he said.

She didn't like the idea, but without powers of her own, she wouldn't it be able to defend herself or patients. She would need help. At the very least, it sounded as if she wouldn't be stuck with him all night.

So she nodded her head, yes.

"Good," he said. "And promise to remember that you don't know these people."

"What?"

"In this universe," he explained. "No matter who they are to you on Earth-1, you don't know them on Earth-2. They don't take kindly to strangers who know their legal names. Taken names, and only if you absolutely must. You don't know these people, Caitlin."

She saw true concern in his eyes, and it worried her. Whether or not his feelings for her were real, he had a vested interest in keeping her alive. That begged the question, who did he think she'd see and mistake for a friend?

"All right," she replied. "I won't forget."

His curled his lips and bared his teeth, giving her a brief glimpse of his ugly smile before it disappeared under his cowl.

" _Get dressed, Bellatrix_ ," he said in his modulated Zoom voice. " _Blink will be waiting for you downstairs in ten minutes._ "

His lightning flickered, but he hesitated, lingering in her room for a few seconds too long. He zipped over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead, light and gentle through his mask.

" _Be careful_ ," he added.

He raced away before she could respond, leaving her somewhere between annoyed and startled. Her eyes wandered to the clock; it was nearly two in the morning.

Again, she turned her attention to the suit. It seemed silly, but if wearing this thing was what she needed to do to keep tabs on Hunter and figure out his endgame, then that's what she'd do.

She struggled to put it on. The material was much heavier than it appeared. It was one solid piece, which forced her to pull it on from her feet, and the fact that it was made to be skin-tight didn't help matters. Yet, after four full minutes fighting with it, it slid into place, and every inch of it fit her perfectly.

She glowered at the hood and mask before pulling it on. She thought it would feel stuffy and suffocating, but the material was light and didn't restrict her breathing, though mercifully, it canceled out the foul smell that still hung in the room.

She descended the stairs, surprised at how natural the suit felt, like a light summer dress. She found Blink pacing in the kitchen, practically exuding impatience.

"We need to leave," Blink said abruptly. "Keep alert. We'll have the mercs with us - "

"The who?" Caitlin interrupted.

"The mercenaries," she replied tersely. "Heat Wave and Colonel Cold. They call the shots. Do what they say when they say it. It's my job to get you in and out alive, and for my son's sake, I will not fail. Do you understand?"

If she was being honest, Caitlin didn't understand anything. She had demanded to join this mission to protect her doppelganger and to prove to Hunter... to show him... _damnit_ , she had been so frustrated and angry, so desperate to make a point, she hadn't really thought about what she was asking. Now she was about to enter siege with Earth-2's Mick Rory and Leonard Snart bossing her around while she scrambled to save... who, exactly? Bloodthirsty minions of Zoom? The so-called doctors who removed Blink Junior's eyes as an experiment?

Caitlin Snow was a doctor. She had taken an oath to do no harm, and as part of that, she had helped people she loathed and saved people she didn't trust. Every time, she told herself that she had done the right thing. Was that what she was doing now?

It didn't matter. She knew Blink wasn't going to wait for her to wrangle her doubts, so she quelled her tumultuous thoughts with self-deceit.

"I understand," she lied.

Somewhere between heartbeats - between the moment Blink reached for her and actually grabbed hold of her - she decided that tonight she wouldn't be Caitlin Snow with all her attendant complications... tonight, she would be Bellatrix, whatever that meant.

The next thing she knew, she was standing under the night sky. Blink had teleported them to a small clearing in a forest that reeked of burning flesh and embers.

Without a word of explanation, Blink set off through the trees, and Caitlin followed, scrambling to keep up. The tree line came to an abrupt halt at a cliff-like overlook that opened into a smoking crater with the charred and battered remains of an office building. It looked like the epicenter of a disaster or a terrorist attack.

 _That's because it was a terrorist attack._

"You're early," a woman said from behind them.

Caitlin spun around, surprised. She had expected Heat Wave and Captain - no, Colonel - Cold to be similar to their Earth-1 counterparts, but here they were decked out in cyborg-like enhancements. She assumed the man outfitted in a suit of metallic red was Heat Wave, which meant the woman in cerulean blue steel was Colonel Cold. They were both white with dark brown hair, and something about their body language made her think they were siblings. It was hard to tell, though, because they were wearing heavy-duty goggles that covered most of their faces.

"Why are you still in Nightshades?" Blink asked.

"Shade hadn't dropped the shadows when we left," Heat Wave replied, his voice surprisingly smooth and soft. "But we should be good to go now."

Colonel Cold had hers off before he even finished his sentence, and Caitlin had to stifle her gasp of surprise. Though she had only met her Earth-1 counterpart a few times, she would recognize Thea Queen anywhere. It was enough to make Caitlin glad that she had a mask concealing her reactions.

 _No matter who they are to you on Earth-1, you don't know them on Earth-2._

Hunter's words echoed inside her head, and while she didn't trust him, she took his warning to heart. She didn't know this Thea nor the man she worked with, and since Zoom employed them, assuming the worst was her best option. She couldn't think of her as Thea.

 _She's not Thea. Not your Thea._

"Well, now that our ride is here, I say we're good to go," Colonel Cold said. "Ready, Doc?"

Feeling the urge to assert control on the chaos of her life, Caitlin said, "It's Bellatrix."

Cold gave her a look somewhere between dispassionate amusement and a death stare, dispelling any chance of mistaking her for Earth-1 Thea Queen.

"Well, then, _Bellatrix_ , hold on to something."

She felt Blink's hand on her arm, and the world dissolved around her. When it reformed a few moments later, it was too hot, and smoke clouded her vision. As her senses adjusted, she took in the wreckage around her. Walls of solid metal and concrete had chunks torn and beaten out, their rubble strewn across the floor, obscuring broken furniture and rubbish. Everything looked unnecessarily eerie in the dim emergency lighting.

It was overwhelming. She frozen until the cold metal of a very large gun nudged her shoulder.

"Move, Doc!" Heat Wave barked.

"Got a patient down the corridor, Trix!" Cold yelled from ahead.

As Caitlin moved forward, she realized that she didn't have a medical kit. She had expected to collect one or at least a few supplies before arriving.

There was nothing for it now. She stumbled into the next corridor, which was filled with bodies. The first two were beaten to a bloody pulp, their skulls smashed in along with the majority of their long bones. A third had burns so severe that it had shriveled to three-fourths its natural size. Three others had died from something that caused them to bleed from the eyes and ears. She checked the five possible survivors for a pulse and found nothing. Six lives gone in the span of a few feet.

"Over here, Trix!" Cold shouted.

She pushed ahead to where Heat Wave was clearing debris from a man trapped under part of a collapsed ceiling.

"Shit, it's Scrap," Heat Wave grunted.

There was real concern written across his face. They must know each other, and with a name like Scrap, the patient was likely metahuman.

Scrap seemed to be in his late teens, maybe his early twenties at the oldest. He had a mop of brown hair and kind-looking blue eyes, but though they were opened, he was listless and unfocused. He didn't respond when Heat Wave said his name, nor when Caitlin crouched over him and took his pulse.

"Scrap, can you hear me?" she asked. "My name is Bellatrix. I'm a doctor."

He didn't respond at all, and his breathing took on a strained wheeze. Seconds later, half his skin turned to steel, and a bubbling, hollow scream poured out of him, echoing before it even left his lips. She pulled back to observe and noted that it was unilateral over his entire right side.

"What are his powers?" she yelled to Heat Wave, who had his back turned to them.

He glowered at her over his shoulder before he said, "I'm here to make sure you don't get dead. Not to hold your hand."

"You know him," she pressed. "Or know _of_ him at least."

"I got us covered," Cold said firmly. "Two minutes."

Heat Wave stowed his gun across his back like a sword, before he joined her at Scrap's side.

"He can transmute his flesh into some kind of invulnerable metal," he replied. "They developed special bullets for him, but he adapted to them... no idea how."

The steel fell away, leaving Scrap panting for breath and looking all too human. She quickly inspected him for wounds, but there wasn't a drop of blood on him. Severe bruising covered his right arm with deeply purple marks, so she checked his torso and found the same pattern along his right side.

"What the hell happened to him?" Heat Wave asked.

"Probably a crush injury with internal bleeding," she said.

Wishing she had more tools with her, she gently pressed against the edge of the wound, eliciting a small grunt from Scrap. The redness didn't blanch, but even as she looked at his skin, the bruises seemed to spread.

 _Where's a Sharpie when you need one?_

Then suddenly, her right glove's index finger pulled back to reveal a slightly spongy surface. It was inky black.

She swiped her finger down the edge of his torso's bruise, but before she got even halfway down, she saw the purpling move beyond the mark. Hematomas often spread after a serious injury, sometimes for days, but they always followed gravity.

"Help me get him on his side," she said. "We need to get him on his right side."

"His injured side?" he repeated incredulously.

"Yes, now!"

They rolled him quickly, and Scrap whimpered in pain.

"T-t-tommy," Scrap muttered. "Stop... it's too much. It's too loud."

"This is hurting him!" Heat Wave protested.

She barely heard him. She was so intensely focused on the line she'd drawn that she shut out all other stimuli. She waited, and she hoped -

But then she saw the bruise grow even farther beyond the line. Whatever happened to Scrap was still going, and moving at an alarmingly rapid rate. She couldn't tell how bad the damage was without some kind of CT or tissue scan.

"Too loud! Too loud!" Scrap cried.

"Back on his back," she said to Heat Wave. "We need to get him to a medical facility. He needs a surgeon, and - "

"No can do, Trix," Cold interrupted. "It's either you here and now or nothing - we move on and leave him."

"Blink can bring him - "

"He goes nowhere until he's been cleared of Trojans," Heat Wave interrupted.

Trojans... she'd read about them while helping Blink Junior. It was an umbrella term used to describe implantable, attachable, or otherwise disguised technology that could have any number of ill intentions, from tracking a subject's location to somehow impacting their immediate environment, like disrupting transmissions or sabotage. The only way to ensure the patient was free of them was a full body scan.

"And how exactly do you expect me to do that?" she shot back.

"Have you even scanned him yet?" he snapped.

"With what?"

"Is this your first time in the suit?" he asked, his voice mocking.

"Yes," she replied.

His expression went from disbelief to confusion to eye-rolling disapproval, like he was too good to protect someone on her first mission.

"Left palm has a scanner," he said. "Forehead thermometer in the left middle finger. You can read blood pressure by wrapping either hand over the bicep. That can also read heart rate. Scalpels and other pointy things in the belt and boots."

"You seem to know a lot about someone else's suit."

"Nothing that anybody saved by Doctor Midnight couldn't tell you."

The marker finger had just sort of... happened. She flipped her left hand up and focused on the palm, and sure enough, it started to glow. She waved it over the edge of Scrap's bruise, and she nearly flinched when a stream of data appeared at the corner of her vision. The scan projected to the left of her eye openings.

Doing her best to ignore the countless questions born of her curiosity about Earth-2 technology, she closed her right eye to focus on the scan results. There was some kind of foreign substance moving inside his body. She rescanned his torso to make sure the reading was correct.

It was the same as the first: tiny foreign bodies were moving, just below the dermis, no, deeper, below the fascia.

"Damnit," she muttered. "Nanites."

The most advanced of the anti-meta poisoned utilized nanotechnology to attack internally, destroying minor blood vessels first, causing an array of symptoms from minor aches and pains to immobility and severe nerve pain, sometimes lasting hours before killing its victims. It was combined with a chemical cocktail that arrested most meta-healing powers, slowing them to near-human rates.

It had been created as an enhanced interrogation tactic, and more importantly, it had an antidote... no, an off-trigger.

"We need someone with sonic powers," she said. "They can initiate the nanite self-destruct sequence."

"Cold," he said with an oddly formal tone. "Any of the Sirens nearby?"

"Motley Siren's been screaming his head off for a doctor," she replied casually. "Doubt he'll be interested in helping."

"Got any better idea?" he sniped.

 _Yep, definitely siblings._

"Blink, go get Motley for us," Cold ordered. Then she turned to Heat Wave and added, "But to be clear, he's your problem now, Heat."

Unsure of how long she'd be waiting, Caitlin tested out the other tools the suit offered. Scrap's temperature was low, but his heart rate was elevated, which further confirmed her suspicion of nanites.

There was an explosion of sound, and Caitlin instinctively covered her patient. Heat Wave got to his feet and raised his weapon, standing between the doctor and the approaching danger.

"You left Lullaby on the floor! Alone!" someone yelled.

"Before the doctor can get to her, she needs help here," Heat Wave said. "Your help. Faster you get it done, the faster we get to Lullaby."

The new arrival made a series of frustrated sounds and half-insults before he finally grunted, "Fine, fine! What is it, Doc?"

"It's Bellatrix," she said, though for the life of her she didn't know why she had suddenly become so insistent on her alias. "I need you to emit a sonic pulse that is strong enough to interrupt nanite's communication, so it will trigger - "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, the self-destruct sequence," Motley interrupted. "It's not like I've never blasted nanites before."

Caitlin took a moment to really look at Motley. His voice and mannerisms were familiar, but his garish meta-suit concealed his features. He wore a particolored suit of red and black, complete with matching cowl and jester's hat. Had it not been slightly charred and covered with blood splatter, he might've seemed comical.

She stood back and allowed him access to Scrap.

He extended a gloved hand over Scrap, who was getting worse. A visible power emanated from his palm, striking Scrap heard enough in the chest to make him buck involuntarily as he wheezed out a scream. Motley didn't even flinch. He continued the blast, moving his hand up and down at a steady pace over Scrap.

He drew his head back and yelled over Scrap's screams, "Done! Lullaby is this way!"

"One minute," she replied.

She grabbed her patient's wrist to check his heart rate, which was dangerously high and increasing every second. This wasn't just a physical reaction to the sonic pressure; it was probably a product of the nanites in his system. If it continued like this, he would need adenosine to stabilize his heart rate.

She ran her hand over the "belt" of her suit, though it was more of a thick liner over her midsection. It contained a number of small vials of adrenaline, a number of anti-seizure and pain meds, but no adenosine. She flipped the liner closed. She'd have to lower his heart rate some other way.

She crouched over Scrap and began to perform carotid sinus massage with her free hand while continuing to monitor him with the other.

It worked, his heart rate decreasing steadily, but once it dropped below one hundred and forty, Scrap transmuted into some kind of non-organic metal similar to steel. As he flickered rapidly between flesh and metal, it became impossible to compress his artery in the appropriate rhythm.

"Scrap, if you can hear me. I need you to control your power," she said. "Can you hear me? Scrap? Scrap!"

"Ah, come on!" Motley shouted. "Haven't we wasted enough time on this loser?"

Ignoring the angry Siren, she waved her left hand over Scrap's body and confirmed that the nanites were no longer moving on their own. Motley had successfully neutralized the nanotechnology, and it was up to Scrap's body to clear out the now-harmless contaminant.

"He's free of Trojans," she said. "Blink, he needs to be taken somewhere he can be monitored and given intravenous fluids."

"There's a medic tent outside," Blink replied. "I can get him there but won't promise any more than that."

Scrap's heart rate was down to one hundred and twenty. With the nanites disabled, it was a wait-and-monitor game now.

"Okay, take him," Caitlin said to Blink. Then she turned to Motley and said, "Lead the way to Lullaby."

"I decide where we go and when," Cold barked, the iciness in her voice perfectly illustrating her alias. "Blink is clear. Take Scrap and return once you pass him off. The rest of us are staying here."

Motley let out a hiss as Blink and Scrap vanished. He paced, stopping and starting erratically, as if he was about to explode, but he was clearly too afraid of Cold to defy her. So he huffed his breath in and out, vocalizing his frustrations without words, all while trying to look casual.

Cold's expression was difficult to read. Had she held them up just to toy with Motley? Or was she truly waiting on some kind of all-clear signal?

 _She's probably a sociopath. This is just her putting a subordinate in his place._

After several incredibly awkward minutes, Cold said, "Right, we're a go. I've got your six, Mot. Lead the way."

Motley Siren bolted for the next corridor with Cold on his heels. Heat Wave motioned for Caitlin to go, and once she started, he followed behind her, walking backwards with his gun raised.

They passed through a hallway riddled with blood and the dismembered bodies of at least four individuals. There were also victims burned beyond recognition; she didn't have the heart to count how many. The next chamber had bodies laid out as if in triage, some with makeshift dressings and a few restrained with rope or zip-ties. Doctor Midnight - one of them - must have been through here but hadn't gotten to treat everyone yet.

Caitlin doubted Cold (or Motley, for that matter) would allow deviations from their current course. All she could do right now was hope that Doctor Midnight would return. She'd find a way to double back to check on them.

To that end, she struggled to memorize their route through winding halls with poor lightning. Three rights, a left, another right...

"Step lightly!" Cold shouted. "Group up! Passing through a no-fly zone, Trix!"

All of a sudden, Heat Wave faced forward and jammed her up so she was inches behind Cold, forcing her to move at an uncomfortable pace.

He lowered his voice and explained, "For the newbie, no-fly zone means keep in line, no stopping, and keep your hands to yourself. Even if you see your sweet old gran, you don't stop. Got it?"

"Yeah," she grunted breathlessly.

The hallway was a tight squeeze. It had been barricaded and fortified before someone blasted through it. The rubble was filled with the wounded. Most were impaled on or crushed under debris. All of them were crying out in pain, most too far-gone to do anything other than beg, but as they passed more and more, a kind of death wail started, undercut by pleading murmurs. She choked down her horror as hot tears poured down her cheeks, welling up in odd places as they became trapped by her mask.

These people needed care; she might be able to save some of them if she acted quickly. Those she couldn't save... she could still help them. At the very least, she could manage their pain. Cold seemed more than content to leave these people to die. Caitlin screwed up her courage to speak. She couldn't abandon the injured, not like this.

She opened her mouth to ask - no, demand - that they help these people, but before she could speak, a rumbling tremor stole her voice and her footing. She stumbled into Cold, who grabbed her arm and dragged her ahead.

"Ceiling's giving out!" Cold shouted. "Move! Move! Move!"

She was right. The vibrations upset the already precarious supports and badly damaged walls, so Caitlin didn't have time to consider her options. She charged ahead full-force, and together, the four of them cleared to the next corridor moments before the ceiling came down behind them.

The stitch in her side forced her to stop to catch her breath, leaving her close enough to hear the pitching screams before absolute silence and stillness fell. She found it hard to breathe as the combination of panic and rage collected in her chest, leaving no room for air.

 _You saved Scrap._

She did. She diagnosed him and administered care so he would have a fighting chance, despite all the unknowns. She clung to that strand of hope, but in truth, it was a band-aid over a bullet wound. But it was all she had, so it had to be enough.

"Come on, Doc," Motley pleaded. "Lullaby is around the corner."

She moved to join him without hesitation, but distracted though she was, she still noticed Cold's sneer of disapproval. She flanked Motley without comment, and Heat Wave followed her lead. But Caitlin's instincts told her that this particular misstep wouldn't be forgotten.

 _Cold needs to believe she's calling the shots._

They turned the corner, and Motley swooped down to a young woman's side.

For the second time that night, Caitlin felt sucker punched. She was looking at the silently writhing form of Earth-2 Sara Lance, her mask discarded beside her and her suit in disarray. Motley had seemed familiar to her, but she never would've thought imagined Quentin Lance in Motley's outrageous outfit.

She crouched by Sara's side.

 _Don't think of her as Sara. She's_ not _Sara._

"The bastards hit her with some kind of anti-sonic technology," Motley said. "It's like she can't speak, can't sing, can't make a damn sound."

Sara's - no, Lullaby's - heart rate and blood pressure were off the charts. She had minor abrasions and bruises on her arms and legs but no major injuries. Caitlin scanned her but found nothing.

"What are her abilities?" Caitlin asked.

"You serious?"

"To rule out all the specialized MTU weapons, I need a description of her abilities," she said with doctorly authority.

"There's a reason people call her Singsong Siren. Her voice... when she sings, her voice... it affects people."

"Affects them how?"

"I don't know how it works!" he snapped.

"Anything you can tell me," she insisted. "Anything."

"She can sing anyone - even the worst insomniacs - to sleep," he replied with reverence in his voice. "She can calm manics, set saints on a rage, induce euphoria in the most downtrodden of souls, a crushing depression in the most joyful, or childlike naivety in the most cynical. She sings, and it happens."

"Can she induce pain?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, anyone who tries to fight the emotions she sings to induce feels pain," he responded. "How exactly does this help my - uh - Lullaby?"

"There are prison cells that can rebound a meta's ability back on them," she said.

"Come on, Doc! When last I looked, she's not in a cell!"

Rather escalating with her own retort, she said, "I need you to hold her still. Can you do that?"

If Motley had any reservations about her, they didn't slow him down. He pinned Lullaby's torso, legs, and wrists, holding her steady while Caitlin scanned her head and assessed for trauma. Beyond superficial lacerations - likely incurred when she collapsed to the ground - there were no signs of injury or foreign bodies.

It was possible that she was experiencing somatosensory seizures; ictal pain could erupt anywhere in the body. But what could have triggered them? And why couldn't she make a sound?

 _Don't overcomplicate things._

If this were any other patient with apophenia, Caitlin would suspect nerve damage. So she ran her hand over Lullaby's neck, searching for abnormalities, but it was difficult to feel the anatomy through the thick gloves of her suit. What she really needed was contrast imaging, which wasn't possible in current circumstances. Her best guess would have to do.

 _Bilateral paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerves._

That made the most sense, given the symptoms, but there were no external indicators. It was an unlikely enough problem, but for it to happen to a meta whose power emanated form her singing voice...

 _It must be her worst nightmare._

Nightmare. That reminded her of a technology developed to treat REM-related sleeping disorders. For a handful of patients, it was marginally successful, but for others, it amplified them to a crippling level. The company responsible abandoned the clinical trials very early on, but it resurfaced about six months after the particle accelerator exploded, modified as an anti-metahuman tactical device. It didn't affect most metas, but those it did experienced prolonged bouts of relapsing and remitting sleep paralysis, complete with auditory, visual, and tactile hypnagogia. Some even experienced uncontrollable, rhythmic motion.

She said, "She needs to be moved. Is there a somewhere we can use? A cot or a desk or something?"

Motley nodded his head, yes, but when Caitlin went to help lift her, he said, "No, Doc, I got her."

He looked remarkably like his Earth-1 counterpart as he lifted his daughter in his arms.

 _He's not Detective Lance_ , she reminded herself. _Who knows how many people he's killed today._

He carried her to an unused countertop across the room, about thirty feet away, and she followed. Cold and Heat Wave shadowed them silently.

Caitlin swept the surface clear so he could safely lay Lullaby out.

"Now what?" he asked. "Surgery?"

"No..." she replied. "You need to talk to her."

"What?"

"Talk to her," she insisted. "Hold her hand and talk to her the way you used to when she was little and would wake up in the middle of the night, scared from a bad dream."

"What the hell kind of a doctor are you?" Motley scowled, stepping between them as if to protect his daughter.

"The kind of doctor who knows all the weapons at the MTU's disposal," she replied fearlessly. "Even those that didn't make it to general use by law enforcement. Now that we've eliminated her exposure - "

He interrupted, "Exposure to what? Don't say that damn cell technology again! Because in case you didn't notice, Doc, I was standing right next to her, and I'm not writhing on the ground!"

"Only fifteen to twenty percent of those with an active meta-gene are affected," she countered. "That's why it never graduated to general use. That, and it requires persistent, direct exposure to remain effective."

Motley opened his mouth, his expression livid, but he hesitated. Then he sealed his lips and clenched his jaw, lending a sinister air to his garish costume.

"How sure are you, Doc?" he growled.

"As sure as I can be in the field," she replied. "It'll wear off within the hour, but if you don't see any change in half an hour, don't wait. Get her to a medical facility. I'm sure Cold will let you use Blink."

"Yeah, Trix," Cold interjected. "Nice to be remembered."

"And what about in the meantime?" Motley asked.

"Hold her hand," she replied. "Talking to her will ease her transition, but she'll still wake up scared and disoriented. She's free of Trojans and safe to move, so as soon as she's able, get her out of her. Not outside, not the medical tent - but off the premises. Now that we know she's susceptible, this place is too dangerous. Traps could be anywhere. No matter what, get her out of here. To the Comet, if you can."

"But if you're wrong - "

"Get her to the Comet," she pressed.

He oscillated between belligerence and resignation before he went to his daughter's side and took her hand.

Caitlin wanted to comfort him, but they had already left countless people to be crushed by a collapsing ceiling. There were others out there who needed a doctor. There was nothing more to do for Lullaby outside a medical facility. Motley wasn't Detective Lance, but it was clear he cared for his daughter. He wouldn't abandon her.

"Well, Trix, if you're done here, we got a situation," Cold said. "Blink can't get to us, so we have to go to her. Next stop: Robotics Lab."

"Robotics Lab?" Motley repeated. "You'd be nuts to go to that hell hole."

"Then call us Pecans, Mot, because we're going," Cold said. "Catch you on the flipside."

She brandished her gun before spinning on her heel and leading the way. This time, Caitlin didn't wait for Heat Wave to signal her to go; she fell in line and followed with him not far behind.

Caitlin wondered if Cold had extrasensory powers. She obviously received or obtained up-to-the-second intel, but she didn't have any communication devices on her. It wasn't the kind of thing she could casually ask a stranger, but her curiosity refused to abate, though perhaps she indulged it as a welcome distraction from the horror of her surroundings.

She thought she'd seen the worst of it on the way to Lullaby, but she was woefully wrong. There were dozens killed in what must've been a hailstorm of bullets, given the state of the remains and the walls. The next hallway was filled with soldiers who had been trampled to death despite their full body armor. There were bodies suffocated in a gas attack, frozen solid and frosted over, slowly dissolving in acid, burned and charred, torn in half, pulverized... she didn't stop to check for pulses.

 _This place is a tomb._

She told herself that they'd find a survivor around the next corner. And the next. And the next. Each time she was proven wrong, she became a little more lost, but she continued to hope... she didn't know how else to do this.

 _Just breathe._

"Button up!" Cold barked. "Tight edge ahead!"

Again, Heat Wave wedged her against Cold, but when they passed into the next corridor, their proximity failed to stop her from freezing. Her hands when to the nearest wall to help brace herself as she instinctively anchored her weight to the floor. When he met her resistance, he stepped back.

Heat Wave almost certainly could've forced her to move. She wanted to believe that he was a good man with compassion, but his restraint was more likely a byproduct of the dangers that lay before them.

The ceiling and walls had been blown away, comprising a tiny section of a crater that spanned five stories, rising straight up into the night sky and running all the way down to the catacomb-like basement, where bodies and rubble piled up like too many dishes in a sink.

The sole surviving wall had a thin stretch of solid floor wide enough to pass, but only barely so, and there was no railing or barrier between them and a gapping three-story fall.

"What's the matter, Trix?" Cold asked. "Not a fan of heights?"

While she never enjoyed elevated places, she'd never been _afraid_ of them per se. She couldn't deny the vaguely ill feeling that gradually escalated to nausea. She attempted to respond to Cold, but when she looked up at her, words failed her.

Then she saw Cold's steely exterior falter, exhibiting a flicker of humanity that she hadn't expected.

"There has to be another way," Caitlin mumbled.

"Ordnance and Typhoon took out this whole area - and not on purpose," Cold replied. "There's no other way to the other side of the explosion. In case you forgot, that's where our ride is. So, unless you plan to stay in this building forever, you're gonna cross here. Got it?"

"Relax," Heat Wave chimed in. "We've got grappling hooks."

She was not at all reassured.

"Trix, either you move now, or Heat will carry you," Cold pressed.

The thought of being shouldered and dangling mid-air churned her stomach. So she wrenched her hands back to her side and took the smallest step forward. Her entire body felt like lead, and she wondered if being stranded in a strange universe by a madman had weakened her constitution. Or had she always been this way? It was difficult to remember.

"Good choice," Cold said. She sounded very, very far away. "Keep up."

It felt like hours to the other side, even though Cold set a relentless pace. She felt very little relief when they reached the next solid, walled-off room, so she was glad that they didn't slow down or stop.

After a few more winding halls, Cold stopped abruptly outside a room that ran the length of a very, very long corridor with floor-to-ceiling windows. Two men waited inside, flanking the first large glass door. One wore black and white leather augmented with a symbol of an upside-down horseshoe of navy blue. The other was in a suit of deep red with pale yellow undertones and dark green trim.

"You didn't mention Berserker was here," Heat Wave said to Cold as he raised his gun.

"Didn't know," she shot back. "Colt made the report."  
The man in deep red stepped into the hall and took off, leaving horseshoe man - who Caitlin presumed was Colt - to usher them inside. She could only wonder after Heat Wave's distain for the mysterious and fast-moving Berserker.

Colt didn't speak as he led them inside to an area that had been converted into a makeshift emergency room with countertops, chairs, and tables serving as cots or instrument trays. One for each of the ten injured.

"Why are they restrained?" Caitlin asked.

"Protocol," Heat Wave responded stiffly.

"More like common sense," Cold said. "Restrain the unfriendlies."

"They're all unconscious," Caitlin pointed out.

"They all _look_ unconscious," Cold corrected. "They stay restrained until I say otherwise. Got it, Trix?"

Caitlin nodded her head and set to work assessing her patients. Respiration, pulse, and blood pressure was within normal range for all for all of them. Four were covered in lacerations, abrasions, and gashes, with the worst of the latter hastily wrapped up to reduce bleeding. She would have to scan them to be sure, but she suspected broken bones.

These were the kinds of injuries she'd expect to see in people who were hit by the radiating blast of an explosion. Cold had mentioned there had been an unintended one not far from here.

She assessed the remaining six patients. They had all been knocked unconscious, almost certainly by the same person, given the nearly identical head trauma.

"Do we know what happened to these people?" Caitlin asked no one in particular.

"Colt happened to most of them," Cold said dispassionately. "He's good for captures, so if he's here, that can only mean one thing. These people have information we need."

"If that's true, why are they still here?" Caitlin asked. "Why risk leaving them in a building that could explode or collapse on them?"

"Because they haven't been cleared for transport," Cold replied. "No one goes anywhere until they're stable, clear of Trojans, and most importantly... until I say so."

Arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere, so Caitlin replied, "Fine. Once I've cleared them, I'll mark their foreheads with an X in permanent marker."

"Attagirl, Trix!" Cold said.

She confirmed that the patients were stable and free of any wounds that might render them unmovable. The only exception was one woman with a broken arm that needed to be set; the rest had uncomplicated rib fractures with minor head trauma. They would need to be monitored for the next few days, but they should all recover. Before she could mark them with X's, however, she needed to confirm they were free of Trojans.

And that was where she hit a snag.

All of them had a submuscular implant, though no two were in the same location. She guessed they were monitoring devices of some kind, almost certainly equipped with GPS. They were too deep for a superficial extraction; it would require a skilled surgeon.

 _Or a speedster who can phase through the body._

The queasiness that she had felt standing over the gapping crater resurged in full force. No, she wouldn't ask Zoom for help. There had to be another way.

With no acceptable recourse, she moved on. Nothing could be done for the ribs; even if she had compression belts, wrapping them could restrict respiration. That left the broken arm for her to set. It was all she could do right now, so she scanned the instrument trays for an appropriately sized splint and material for a sling.

She adjusted the patient for the procedure then took a steadying breath as she lined up the arm. This patient was in for a very rude awakening. With brutal precision, she set the arm, immediately moving the splint into place.

The patient woke with a scream, the restraints barely holding her back. Caitlin quickly secured the splint with what she hoped was medical tape before slipping the sling on, which was slightly complicated by the straps holding her in place. She then marked her forehead with a small but visible X.

"A heads up next time, Trix!" Cold shouted.

She hadn't even thought about warning her guards, but she made a mental note of it for the next time.

"You're okay," she said to the woman panting in pain. "You're going to be okay. I set your arm, and I can give you something for the pain if you'd like."

"Are they gone?" the woman said hoarsely.

It was only when she heard her voice that Caitlin realized she was treating none other than Earth-2 Eliza Harmon. In this universe, she had cropped dirty blond hair and lighter eyes, but her facial expressions, her voice... she reminded Caitlin too much of the friend she lost, all because she had been relentless in pursuing Velocity-9 as a "cure" for Jay.

 _Eliza's death wasn't your fault. Neither was Trajectory. She made her own choices._

It was difficult not to think of Eliza as another victim of Jay's - Hunter's - time on Earth-1, especially looking into the face of her recently injured doppelganger.

"Are they gone?" Eliza repeated.

"We're the only ones here. You're safe now," Caitlin said. Then she added, "What's your name?"

"Eliza," she replied.

"Eliza, I need help with the implants," she explained. "Yours and everyone else's. Can you help me with that?"

"All MTU personnel have a monitoring implant," she explained. "It's protocol."

"Implanted by a surgeon?"

"No... a surgical program," Eliza replied.

"I have to remove the implants before I can move anyone," she said. "And some of these people need a medical facility. Sooner rather than later."

Eliza's eye fluttered shut as her jaw clenched. Clearly, she didn't like what she was being asked.

"If the equipment isn't damaged, I can run the extraction program," Eliza mumbled. "But we'd have to go to the bio-med bay in the robotics labs - "

"We're in the robotics lab," Caitlin interjected.

Eliza's eyes went wide as her heart rate skyrocketed. She fought fruitlessly against the straps, flailing recklessly and helplessly.

"Eliza, stop! Stop! Tell me what's wrong!"

She stilled, but her heart continued to thump hard, as if she was fleeing a ravenous bear.

"Why are we in the Robotics Lab?" she asked.

"Not my decision," Caitlin replied. "The explosion wasn't far from here, and this area is large and stable."

"You... you swear?"

"I promise," Caitlin replied. "How far is the bio-med bay from here?"

"It's the next lab... they're connected with internal doors," Eliza said. "But... we can't just go in there... the guards, and the... the others..."

She didn't complete her thought, and her heart rate and respiration remained elevated, making Caitlin wonder what in the bio-med bay inspired such terror.

"Don't worry," she said in an attempt to reassure her. "I'll make sure it's safe first. For now, just try to relax."

Eliza looked far from convinced, but she nodded her head affirmatively before slumping back against the counter that served as her medical cot.

Caitlin turned to speak with Cold, who had already gravitated toward the patients and awaited her approach.

"You sure you wanna do this, Trix?" Cold asked. "Think we can trust her?"

"To save herself and her own people?" Caitlin countered.

Apparently, her rhetoric proved persuasive because Cold chuckled and brandished her gun, almost like she was toasting her good health.

"Heat!" she called. "Escort Trix here to the bio-med bay. Blink will bring the patients along once she and Colt get back."

"Got it," Heat Wave said as he waved Caitlin over.

They moved noiselessly through the lab toward the doors on the far side. It was filled will fascinating machines that constantly caught her eye. The majority of the technology in the lab was adaptive or assistive robotics for surgical procedures. It exhilarated her curiosity until she began to connect the dots between the mechanical equipment and the MTU's uses for it.

The doors into the bio-med bay were knocked off their hinges or smashed straight through with chunks of wall to match. Heat Wave led the way, stepping over the least-saved doorframe.

At first, there was nothing but untouched lab equipment, including several neuro-surgical assistive machines, but then the landscape changed.

It was like they stepped into hell.

The room was full of carbyne cells not unlike those in Zoom's mountain lair, though there were dogs, pigs, and even monkeys in these. All of the animals were dead, their lifeless eyes glazed over and opened in an accusatory stare. Various monitors read TERMINATION SEQUENCE COMPLETE.

 _They killed them all when they realized they were under attack._

Bodies littered the spaces between desks: charred, beaten, bloody, and broken. No pulses, cold to the touch... whatever happened here occurred hours ago. Heat Wave kept her moving, not giving her more than the time required to check for breathing and a heart beat, so they quickly made it to the center of the lab.

Had she thought they were in hell before? Well, she was wrong, because this - this was hell.

Animals were not the only subjects in this laboratory. The next cells - no, that was too humane a word, these were cages - contained people, all as dead as their animal counterparts. At least, she assumed as much, since their monitors likewise read TERMINATION SEQUENCE COMPLETED. Zoom's minions had smashed through the carbyne and covered the victims with sheets, lab coats, or anything they could find.

She asked Heat Wave, "Who were they?"

He shook his head, no, but the expression on his face gave a very different answer. He clenched his jaw, and suddenly, his eyes flared, appearing like tiny suns where his sockets should have been. He closed them, but the light radiated through his skin, which barely contained the glow.

She felt the temperature rise. Perhaps she imagined it... or maybe, in this universe, Heat Wave earned his moniker for something other than the heat gun he carried.

Caitlin wasn't sure if concern was warranted, but it didn't look as if he had it under control. In fact, he seemed like he was going to explode. She discreetly put some distance between them, hoping that if he needed help, he would ask for it.

Then it stopped as abruptly as it started.

"You know," he said gruffly, trying to act as if nothing had happened. "Check'em, though, just to be sure."

She didn't argue, but climbing into that first cage was worse than she imagined. It was too small to lie down in, and the carbyne walls were clear on all sides, leaving the subject without privacy, space, or dignity. The body inside was cold, and from the petechial hemorrhages in the eyes, she surmised that a gas displaced the oxygen in a confined space - no doubt the very cage in which she stood - caused suffocation. It was a horrible way to die, especially while on display.

She moved on to the next cage. And the next. And the next. When she found a vacant cell that had been busted open like the others, a thrill of relief and hope washed over her.

"Do you think an empty cell means a survivor?" Caitlin asked.

"Survivors?" Heat Wave repeated skeptically. "I'm all for wishful thinking, but... nobody survives a place like this."

She persisted in confirming the dead long after she lost count. She had to be certain that she hadn't left anyone behind.

She hesitated outside one cage that was bloodier than the other, worrying at what she might find. She uncovered the body and discovered a teenage boy, sixteen at the oldest. Unlike the others, he died from blunt force trauma to the head. She felt sick as her mind pieced the evidence together, forcing her to watch the events unfold as if they were happening before her.

The boy saw what was happening to the others in cages around him, and he felt the air thin. Pure panic drove him to trash at the walls, and the desperation to survive gave him strength enough to ram his own head against the carbyne with all his weight behind him over and over again, covering the walls with his blood, and after the final blow, his brain matter.

 _He must've been terrified._

She staggered away from the sight, her mind racing. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was jammed inside one of these cells, asphyxiating. She tumbled into the next row of horror and yanked off her cowl, desperate for air, but instead of a breath of fresh air, she inhaled the stench of institutionalized murder: decay, antiseptic, and the faintest hint of smoke.

Reeling from the choking scent, she almost didn't hear her name.

"Caitlin," a familiar voice cried. "Oh, my sweet Caitlin!"

Her eyes went to the speaker, a woman inside a cage yet still alive. The walls of her cell had been smashed in, but the survivor hadn't left.

 _Because she's frozen in place._

Caitlin couldn't believe it. She was staring at the face of Doctor Carla Tannhauser, her mother.

 _She's not Mom._

"Caitlin," she murmured. "They did it. They cured you. They promised me they would."

Her stomach clenched. Mom - _no, Carla_ \- thought she was her daughter, cured of whatever transformed Killer Frost into a heat-hungry ice queen. Caitlin couldn't let her think that; she needed to get her out of here. She had promised Frost to help Mom in this universe.

 _She's not Mom._

Caitlin couldn't bring herself to explain things to Carla, especially not when she got an unobstructed view. She was frozen from the waist down in a solid block of ice. Her lips were blue, and her teeth chattered as she shivered violently.

Before she could stop herself, she said, "What did they do to you, Mom?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Sweetheart, he's alive. He's okay. They promised me."

"I'm going to get you out of here," Caitlin said. Then she yelled, "Heat Wave!"

She had enough presence of mind to drag her mask over her head before he arrived.

Carla started to ask to see her face again, and she kept asking as her voice faded.

"You called?" Heat Wave asked.

"Can you melt this ice?"

"Come on," he said, flashing a genuine smile. "What's my name?"

He waved for her to step aside. Then he aimed the heat gun at the block of ice, loosing a stream of fire that cut the chill in the air. Unfortunately, it barely made the ice sweat.

"What the hell?" Heat Wave grunted.

"He's alive... he's with..." Carla mumbled.

She fell silent, and Caitlin ran to her.

"Wait! Wait!" Caitlin yelled. She dropped her voice and pleaded in a whisper, "Mom, wait, please... stay with me."

She wasn't breathing, and her heart wasn't beating. Her body temperature didn't register on any of her instruments.

"We need to get her out of here," she said. "Melt this ice. Warm her up."

"Bellatrix, she's gone," Heat Wave said.

"She's _not_ dead until she's warm and dead," Caitlin retorted.

"You know meta-biology doesn't always follow the rules!"

"She's not metahuman!" she countered, her voice much louder than she intended.

"She's right," someone said.

 _No, no, no... this isn't happening._

She turned to face Killer Frost, who seemed unmoved by her mother's demise, though there was a fury in her eyes that betrayed her anxiety.

"Frost, I can save her," Caitlin pleaded. "I just need you to get rid of this ice."

"The Colonel sent me to replace you. She's expecting you," Frost told Heat Wave. Then she turned to Caitlin, "And you... get out of my way."

Heat Wave left without another word, and Caitlin stepped out of the cage to give Frost room to work. She watched intently as her doppelganger focused all her energy on the ice that trapped her mother. Slowly but surely, it evaporated, defrosting the entire area and thawing Carla's flesh, restoring a rosy complexion to her skin.

Frost carried her out of the cell and laid her on the ground, stepping back to allow Caitlin to begin compressions.

After several fruitless minutes, however, a chilly hand came down over her shoulder.

"She's gone," Frost said.

"No, she's like you, she can live - "

"The MTU protocol for a siege is total termination," Frost interrupted dispassionately. "She would've survived the cold... but not the poison. She's gone."

It was probably a bad sign that her icy, emotionally imbalanced doppelganger was the one talking sense to her, but Caitlin didn't care. She didn't want to believe it.

 _You must. She's gone._

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought - I thought I could save her."

"She was dead as soon as they took her," Frost said.

"She kept saying that he was here," Caitlin added, grasping at straws.

Frost dragged her to her feet, grappling with the collar of her suit.

"What else did she say?" Frost demanded, every feature of her face livid. "Tell me!"

"Just that he was safe, and... and that he was with the others."

"Think, Doc! Where is he? Did she say where he was?"

"No, only that he was here," Caitlin replied. "She wasn't making any sense. She thought I was you!"

Frost shoved her away in disappointment.

"Was she talking about Deathstorm?" Caitlin asked.

"I need to find him," was all Frost said.

"Listen, there's a woman who survived the explosion. She knows the equipment, and she's ambulatory. She with Cold. Maybe she can help."

Before she could finish, Frost was off, racing back the way she came, leaving Caitlin too many steps behind as she scrambled to catch up. She couldn't leave Eliza at Frost's mercy, not in her current state.

Then she felt a heavy weight drag her to one side, and she veered away from Frost's path, doing a complete one-eighty. Her mind... it didn't feel right.

Memories of doctors in white loomed over her, their merciless eyes observing her terror, her pain with cold-blooded indifference as they cut into her, as they barked another callous command. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

 _ **Caitlin... Caitlin...**_

No, these weren't her memories. She knew that voice. She'd heard it in her head before.

 _ **Caitlin always kind.**_

Images and feelings besieged her, too belligerent to ignore, too many to experience. Her head pounded with pressure, and her emotions pulled her in every direction. All she could understand were quick flashes, tiny moments of significance compressed to an unbearable degree.

The fear of being dragged through a portal without knowing what was o the other side. The euphoria of a new home, of no longer being alone. The sting of loss and the rage that followed. The wrath of retribution against the assailants. The shock of capture... and then nothing but the agony of being trapped and experimented on. The torment that came from knowing freedom was a dream that would never come true again.

Caitlin came back to her senses mid-vomit. She couldn't stop the retching, and she didn't want to. She needed it. She needed to purge all the poisons inside her. It felt like it would never be enough.

When it finally abated, she examined her surroundings. She must've wandered off when Grodd's thoughts overcame her because she didn't recognize where she was. There was an enormous carbyne cage set out like a fish tank in front of half a dozen desks.

Grodd must've pulled her here in a desperate call for help. That meant he was alive and nearby.

She raced to the edge of the fish tank, doing her best to keep her mind clear.

Grodd wasn't the only one in the fish tank, or the Intensive Care Unit, as the monitors called it. Two men were restrained on medical cots near the front. The first was called the Donor, and as far as she could tell, he was only heavily sedated. The second, Wild Card, had recently had both arms amputated, and from the looks of it, he was in dire need of post-operative care. He had bled through his bandages and had an elevated heat rate, likely because he was in pain.

Unlike the rest of the lab, this cell hadn't been broken into, so Caitlin had to set up an electrical current like the one she used in Zoom's lair to take out one of the carbyne panels. She busied herself with what was in front of her, removing the Donor's IV and giving him adrenaline to counter the effects of the sedatives. She administered pain meds to Wild Card before applying new compression bandages to prevent him from bleeding out.

 _ **Caitlin always kind.**_

She rounded on Grodd, who was at the back of the unit.

 _ **Caitlin... give final kindness to Grodd.**_

The great ape's body was unrestrained, but only because shackles were no longer necessary. His head was at an unnatural height, contained inside a clear dome-like bubble. As soon as she saw it, she felt her cervical spine crack and snap as the horrible whooshing and grinding of a medical saw dug into her flesh. The pain was followed by... nothing. No feeling, no sensation... her body was gone, and there was nothing but the abiding ache of loss.

"Hey, Doc? Doc!"

She gasped as she returned to her senses, Grodd's memory fresh in her mind and clear as if it were her own. The Donor had gotten his feet under himself and come to her aid. He was cradling her, as if he'd caught her when she fell... but she couldn't remember falling.

"You shouldn't be on your feet yet," she said to him. "You need some time before the sedatives wear off."

"You mean he does," the Donor replied, pointing back to his bed... where he still sat.

"Relax," the Donor said. "That adrenaline you gave me was just enough to spawn this copy."

"The Donor..." she said, realizing who he was. "You clone yourself."

"Don't call me that," he replied as he guided her back to her feet. "That's what _they_ call me... using my copies for spare parts..."

Desperate for a happy memory, she dug in, and the moment Cisco named the Donor's Earth-1 counterpart came to the forefront.

"Multiplex," she blurted.

"Multiplex," he repeated. "I like it. You okay, Doc?"

"No," she replied. "I'm not."

 _ **Final kindness.**_

She wanted to tell Grodd that there was hope, that Totem could help him by bonding him with a familiar and accelerating his healing. But something told her that Totem's powers wouldn't work on Grodd... because he was an ape or from Earth-1, or maybe both.

"Poor bastard," Multiplex said.

"He wants me to... to... show him a final kindness," she said, unable to say what he really wanted.

"You know him?" Multiplex asked.

She nodded her head, yes.

"He wanted to be with others like him, so I helped send him to the gorilla sanctuary," she explained. "All he wanted was not to be alone anymore... and I'm the reason he's here."

"No one in this world is innocent," Multiplex said. "But that's no reason to take blame that isn't yours. The MTU did this. This is no more your fault than it is mine."

It was a kind thing to say, but it was based on ignorance. Grodd wouldn't have been on Earth-2 to become prey for the MTU if Caitlin hadn't helped trick him into that portal. She didn't have the energy to argue her guilt; she only wanted to press the issue to avoid the real conflict.

"I'll do it," Multiplex said.

"It should be me," she said.

"No, it shouldn't," he replied. "You remind me of my wife. She has a kind heart, and doing this... even for someone that she cares about, it would cripple her."

"And what about you?" she asked. "What about your heart?"

"My heart's only a few minutes old," he quipped. "It'll bounce back."

"Thank you," she said.

Then she turned to Grodd, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted you to have a home."

Words failed her. What could she say to comfort him?

 _ **Grodd found home.**_

She saw the image of a luscious jungle centered around a light-haired gorilla with silver eyes. She was beautiful and gentle and strong. In that moment, the only thing that Caitlin felt was persistent, unmovable, indestructible love.

 _ **Caitlin... always... kind...**_

"Doc? Doc!"

The voice was loud in her ear, shaking her away from the pleasant bubble that was fast growing dark. She looked at Grodd, hoping to speak with him again, but it was too late. Multiplex had administered a fatal dose of sedatives.

Trying to keep herself together, she scanned Wild Card and found no sign of Trojans. Multiplex's clone was free, too, but the Prime wasn't.

"We need to get him to the others," Caitlin said. "Hopefully they can remove his Trojans with the technology - "

She stopped dead in her tracks when she remembered what she had been doing before Grodd drew her away. She had been following Frost to protect an unsuspecting Eliza Harmon from her wrath. How long had she left them alone? What had happened to Eliza?

 _Was Ronnie alive?_

Even if he was alive, he wasn't her Ronnie. He was Deathstorm.

"Found her!" someone shouted. "You, Bellatrix!"

She turned to see horseshoe man - no, Colt - a few desks away.

"We need another doctor," he announced.

"We need help," she replied. "Two are ready for transport. The other - "

"I'll handle them," Colt interrupted. "They need you. Now."

"We'll be fine," Multiplex added. "Thanks to you, Bellatrix."

She went to Colt, who pointed toward a bustling intersection not far from where they stood. She could see at least two Doctor Midnights at work. What on earth did they need a third doctor for?

There didn't seem to be a point in asking Colt, so she walked as swiftly as she could. Cold swooped in before she reached the throng of activity.

"I was hijacked by a telepathic gorilla," Caitlin said preemptively. "There was nothing anyone could've done to stop it, least of all me."

"You sure you're not telepathic, Trix?" Cold asked, giving her a cocky smile. "Though I think it's important that nobody hears about your... unauthorized excursion. Things might get dicey. My employer isn't the forgiving type."

"My lips are sealed," she promised.

"Good," Cold said. "Don't get comfortable, Trix. I don't think we'll be here for long."

With that, Caitlin passed into the buzzing hive of people, and she saw what had attracted so much attention.

Children.

There were dozens of them, ages ranging four to twelve. There were even infants and toddlers. One Doctor Midnight was working with Eliza, who was mercifully unharmed (though handcuffed), on removing Trojans from the kids. Before she knew it, they had waved her over and walked her through the process. She needed to scan to locate the implant and then select the corresponding program to extract it.

She felt... thin. Wrung out. Torn apart. It wasn't the ideal the time to perform detail-oriented tasks. Her movements were sluggish at best, and her bedside manner was abysmal.

She only managed to help three kids before an alarm sounded. She had thought this place had been buzzing with activity before, but the speed amplified. With all the meta-powers in proximity, it was impossible to be certain what was happening. She caught sight of Blink teleporting in and out over and over again, transporting no fewer than five people at a time.

She also saw Cold barreling towards her, her gun at the ready, before Frost appeared out of nowhere.

"Remember your promise to me, Caitlin," Frost said, her voice stern.

Before she could point out that their - her - mother hadn't survived, a two-year-old boy was pressed into her arms. He had the most enormous blue eyes she'd ever seen and a tuft of dark brown hair that made him the spitting image of someone she'd never be able to forget.

"Ronnie," she whispered.

"RJ," Frost corrected.

"He's beautiful," she said.

She meant it. He was probably the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She was so focused on him that she barely registered Cold's barking orders at her.

"Did you hear me, Trix?" she said loudly. "You've been recalled. Now."

It was only then that she realized Frost had left her with RJ and was nowhere in sight, though she could only see a few yards in all this chaos.

"What about you? And Heat Wave? And Frost?"

"Sweet of you to ask," Cold said sarcastically. "But Heat and Cold never run from a fight. I'm not Frost's keeper. You and the kid are next up with Blink."

"Fight?" she asked. "What fight? I thought the fighting was over."

"'Was' being the operative word," Cold replied. "Reinforcements from a secondary site. Nothing we can't handle. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about."

She winked before turning on her heel, and in the next instant, a mob of people surrounded her and RJ. Then Blink appeared, and the world around her vanished only to reappear as the night sky.

Blink didn't stay to chat. Caitlin was left standing on the edge overlooking the crater they had just escaped. She found herself the center of a huddle of children, surrounded by no fewer than three Multiplexes. There were others she didn't recognize, some shepherding the others, but most collected at the edge to watch.

She clutched RJ closer as the earth shook violently. All eyes fell on the wrecked building below them as more and more gathered around. It was nearly impossible to look away, especially when an alarm screeched, echoing into the mountains.

That's when the blue lightning flickered. It started as a few streaks, but it soon filled the entire valley, a constantly changing path of blue then white then black. The dawn came, the gentle morning sun easing its way into the picture of smoke and flashes of light. It was hard to tell from her vantage point, but it seemed like Zoom was evacuating people to a second location.

Caitlin stifled a sob as RJ's tiny hands explored her mask. The alarm became louder and louder, rising with the morning sun, and she watched without blinking. The blue lightning never stopped.

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 _Warning: The end of chapter notes contain minor spoilers for the chapter. Read at your own risk._

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, The Heavenly Shepherd, comes from the Ancient Babylonian name for the Orion constellation.

Tons of characters appear in this chapter. A quick rundown is provided below:  
\- **Totem** (Original Character) was absent because she had a number of missions and a special assignment, the outcome of which will be felt in future chapters.  
\- **Blink** is Earth-2 Shawna Baez, called Peek-a-boo on Earth-1 and Leshawn Baez in the comics. She is Blink Junior's mother, and she can teleport.  
\- **Killer Frost** joined the mission after Zoom goaded her into it by informing her that the MTU had her mother. He roped her in because, while there are a number of non-metahuman powered people in Zoom's ranks, Frost is the most infamous, and everyone assumes that she's meta. That made her the perfect offense against the MTU's secret weapon, _Special Agent Cameron Chase_.  
\- **Special Agent Cameron Chase** is a character from various D.C. comics, including her own comic series in the late nineties where she worked alongside various heroes, including Batman, while in the employ of the DEO. ( _Chase_ , the graphic novel created from the comic series, is an excellent story for anyone interested.) Obviously, the Earth-2 Cameron Chase is adapted from the Chase series, but they have similar origin stories and the same powers. In this universe, she became the MTU's secret weapon, and her background will come up in later chapters.  
\- **Black Siren** is Earth-2 Laurel Lance, just like on the show.  
\- **Motley Siren** also known as called **Pied Piper** , is Earth-2 Quentin Lance. He has sonic abilities similar to Earth-1 Pied Piper, though his are meta-abilities.  
\- **Singsong Siren** , usually called **Lullaby** , is Earth-2 Sara Lance. She can "induce" specific emotions by singing, and anyone who attempts resistance experiences agonizing pain for their trouble.  
\- **Void Siren** , aka **Silencer** , is Earth-2 Dinah Lance. She's only mentioned in passing in this chapter as one of the metas that Chase captured for the MTU. Her meta-abilities are also sonic in nature, and they may come up in later chapters.  
\- **Colonel Cold** is Earth-2 Thea Queen-Merlyn. She's armed with the infamous Cold Gun associated with Earth-1 Captain Cold, but she also has meta-abilities that are cultivated and augmented by cyborg enhancements designed by _Pyranis_. Her partner in crime is _Heat Wave_.  
\- **Heat Wave** is Earth-2 Tommy Merlyn, and his weapon is the same as Earth-1 Mick Rory's Heat Gun. He also has an extremely powerful solar-flare-like meta-power that he has difficulty controlling during strong emotions. Like his partner in crime, _Colonel Cold_ , he has cyborg enhancements designed by _Pyranis_ to facility and control his abilities.  
\- **Pyranis** is Earth-2 Malcolm Merlyn, who attained quasi-mystical powers while training with the League of Assassins.  
\- **Scrap** is Earth-2 Griffin Gray, though his abilities are closer to Earth-1's Tony Woodward aka Girder.  
\- **Berserker** , Earth-2 Roy Harper, isn't metahuman; instead, he relies on an artificial serum that enhances his physical strength.  
\- **Colt** (Original Character) owes his life to Blacksmith, one of Zoom's main lieutenants. His story will come up in later chapters.  
\- **Shade** is based off of the Golden-Age comic character (when Jay Garrick was the Flash). He has the ability to control shadows.  
\- **Doctor Midnight** was a name taken by three distinct characters in the comics (sometimes spelled Doctor Mid-Nite), though there was never more than one at the same time. On Earth-2, there are a number of metahuman-medics that share the mantle, though nobody knows how many, save perhaps Zoom and Totem.  
\- **Deathbolt** is Earth-2 Jake Simmons, and just like his Earth-1 counterpart, he can absorb electricity and fire plasma beams from his eyes.  
\- **Ordnance** is Earth-2 Bette Sans Souci who has the same powers as her Earth-1 counterpart, who Cisco named Plastique.  
\- **Typhoon** is Earth-2 Clyde Martin, seeking his missing brother, _Zephyr_ , Earth-2 Mark Martin. Like on Earth-1, the Martin brothers have weather-related powers.  
\- **Gigawatt** is Earth-2 Helena Bertinelli (aka the Huntress on Earth-1), who has electrical powers. She's only mentioned in passing.  
\- **Count Vertigo** is based off the character in the comic book (aka Werner Vertigo), who had powers of disorientation, among other things. (This is in contrast to the TV version of his Earth-1 counterpart, who was nicknamed the Count and sold a drug named Vertigo.)

 **Author's note** : Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. It's a bit longer than I intended (even after I cut a great deal from it), and there's every possibility I will update and change it. There is also a limited amount of Hunter/Caitlin interaction, but it was unfortunately necessary at this part of the narrative. All I can do is promise that the next chapter will definitely make up for it, though I don't have an ETA on when that next chapter will be complete.

I hope you enjoy this installment and are looking forward to the next one!


	8. The Three Spinning Sages

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Zoom handles unexpected circumstances at the facility, and Caitlin is brought in later to deal with the fallout.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**  
 **The Three Spinning Sages**

* * *

 **Several hours previous...** Zoom raced through the wreckage, exhilarated by the destruction and carnage. The bittersweet tang of triumph and the bliss of victory thrummed in his blood. The high was incredible. It was more than intoxicating; it was transcendent. He had felled his enemies, and now he would scatter their ashes to the wind.

He wouldn't stop there. No, he would dismantle everything they'd built, everything they'd ever touched. When he was done, there would be nothing but faded memories of the bad dream that was once the MTU. Its legacy would be the monster under the bed that had no teeth - the boogeyman with no bite - crushed under the heel of Zoom, the master of all metahumans.

"Captives found in the robotics lab!" echoed over the intercom.

Motley Siren's voice grated Hunter, and the unceremonious announcement doubled his distain.

 _He sounds panicked._

Hunter rarely bothered with Motley or Singsong Siren. Their abilities were parlor tricks compared to Black Siren, whose ruthless will augmented her powers and made her his best lieutenant. But she didn't solely rely on her abilities. Her cunning and wit served her well; indeed, without them, she would've been lost in the shadow of her mother, Void Siren.

 _Motley wouldn't panic for anybody else._

Hunter smiled beneath his cowl. Special Agent Cameron Chase had captured Void Siren over a year ago. He never admitted it to anyone, but he had felt her loss acutely. She had been an expert interrogator long before her metahuman gene was activated, and her loyalty never wavered. It would be good to have her back.

 _Assuming she's alive and the MTU hasn't tortured her into insanity._

No, the MTU couldn't break the will of someone like Void Siren. She'd endure the worst pain imaginable and remain alive and sane to spite her captors. In that way, they were something of kindred spirits. His time in the asylum at the mercy of so-called doctors and those nights at the orphanage when he couldn't sleep for the memory of his mother's face... and always, thoughts about ending his suffering haunted him.

No, they hunted him like a pack of wolves.

It always started with the question, _Will I ever see her again?_

And somewhere in the back of his mind, the answer lurked: _You will... when you die._

Not far behind it were thoughts like, _You could see her right now, if only you were brave enough._

From there, he was dragged down into a spiral of despair and agony, and he survived over and over again, for no other reason than to spite his father.

Zoom stumbled to a stop, his heart beating too hard and too fast. It had been a very long time since he'd thought about those days, and longer still since he remembered the experience. It was like reliving it all over again.

He didn't have time for this.

 _"Anyone not on perimeter or capture duty - to the robotics lab!"_ Zoom ordered over the intercom. _"Now!"_

He followed Motley's tracer signal to the room in question, which was at the very heart of the building. This lab was marked for authorized personnel only, so anyone present likely had valuable information. He rendered all MTU employees he encountered unconscious.

 _For now._

There were hundreds - maybe thousands - of carbyne containment units.

He grimaced. He could pass through carbyne without issue, but he had yet to discover a means of phasing or tunneling someone _else_ through the material. At the Roost, the walls retreated three feet into the ceiling above, giving him more than enough room to shove a prisoner inside or drag one out.

Whatever the means, it was likely that each unit here had a unique code or biometric lock.

 _That would take days._

Or it would've taken days, had Zoom not come with the largest metahuman army at his back. Black Siren couldn't shatter carbyne on her own, but she could with Motley and Singsong Siren. Deathbolt and Ordnance would no doubt try to blast their way through, while Berserker, Colt, and Scrap would beat at the carbyne until it splintered.

As he combed through the countless minions at his beck and call, one in particular rose to the top of the list.

 _"Pyranis,"_ he ordered over the intercom. _"Report to the robotics lab immediately."_

Then he ran.

Pyranis played the part of mad scientist to conceal his true nature. He claimed to have transformed into an elemental by studying alchemy, but Hunter knew that, however he had acquired his abilities, it was not his own doing. But the man was a brilliant engineer, and he could easily coordinate the destruction of countless impenetrable cells.

 _So could Caitlin._

He couldn't help his smile, even though she did ruin a perfectly good containment unit.

 _You knew she could, and you didn't stop her. You didn't even try._

The tone was accusatory, but there was no need. His insides jolted of their own accord as he remembered what transpired immediately after Caitlin had freed Killer Frost. She had almost died. If he hadn't gotten to her in time...

 _And now you're going to risk her life again some stupid mind game._

No. He hadn't wanted her to come. She had insisted - no, demanded - to join this mission, to be treated like a partner.

 _So instead of keeping her safe, you're going to risk losing her again._

His blue lightning became thin as vapor. His legs felt like lead, but he kept his speed up. If he ran fast enough, he could burn his anxiety up.

 _You can't run from this. You aren't bringing her here because it's what she wants. You're doing it to manipulate her!_

He couldn't lose her again. It was too risky. He would order Blink to bring patients to the Comet. He'd keep Caitlin busy until the facility was gutted and call it a regrettable change in plans. She'd be angry with him, but she'd be safe. And she would never refuse to save someone's life.

 _Except you. She wouldn't save you. Not after everything you've done._

His feet began to fail him. He couldn't run, but he also couldn't let anyone see him like this, so he raced up the wall beyond the suspended ceiling, coming to rest on a ledge that barely supported him. He was panting for breath, his mind reeling with doubt and fear.

 _You promised to keep her safe._

Hunter had promised to protect her, but as long as she saw him as an enemy, she'd never truly be safe. There would always be that tiny voice of defiance in her head driving her away from him, telling her not to trust him, to fear him, to hate him. That's why she freed Killer Frost, despite her better judgment. That's why she nearly died in his arms.

She had to believe in him and The Cause. He needed her to come to him and only him for help and protection.

 _Need or want?_

He screamed, and his modulated voice amplified into a roar as the sound drove away his wretched doubts. His forces had overtaken an enemy fortress, and he was fretting Caitlin's safety?

Hunter had planned everything around protecting her. He even arranged for a handful of useless MTU employees to survive long enough to enter her care. She would save them and demand their freedom, and he would gladly grant it. That would prove that Caitlin belonged with The Cause.

 _You're manipulating her._

The thought was like a whisper, the last quiver of his doubts fading like a dream. Yes, on some level, he was manipulating her, but it was for her own good. When he told her he would lock her in a cell to keep her safe, he meant it. Distorting a few facts was far less painful for both of them.

He was doing this to save her.

Hunter took a few seconds to empty his mind, tempting any lingering uncertainty to rise to the surface, but there was none. Doubts were only able to take root because he remembered that slice of his childhood, reliving those horrible nights for just a few seconds. Those days were long behind him now and that was where they would say.

Revitalized, he began to run again. He circled the lab a few times before speeding out to check the perimeter, which Blacksmith had under control.

He rushed to Fort Green. Hazard, Haunt, and Totem had put the entire campus into lockdown by leveraging a hacker who called himself the Calculator.

It had all been part of his strategy. Rather than attempting a two-pronged assault, he ordered a subtler attack built upon Hazard's penchant for spreading bad luck and Haunt's ability to possess inanimate objects. He didn't know or care about the specifics, but they had compromised something that triggered a kind of panic mode. Then the Calculator exploited a loophole to keep the entire army base in perpetual lockdown.

Hunter considered taking all his metas and leaving the hacker to fen for himself, but tactically, it was a stupid risk to leave Fort Green unguarded. Hazard and Haunt would, at the very least, raise the alarm should the fort break free and marshal a strike force. He couldn't trust an outsider like the Calculator for that. No human would risk his life for metahumans.

His spymaster, however, was needed elsewhere. Without a word, he zoomed her from her post, bringing her to the battered ruin of the MTU.

 _"Totem,"_ he said in his modulated Zoom voice. _"Establish a medical zone for the doctors."_

"Very well," she replied stiffly.

Sensing her unspoken words, he said, _"Speak."_

"There is such a thing as too much truth," she replied.

He loathed cryptic messages, but Totem had the unfortunate habit of imparting genuine warnings when he least wanted to hear them. She was also one of the only people who spent any real time with Caitlin, so he considered her words carefully.

 _"I'll keep that in mind,"_ he replied, emphasizing the edge in his voice.

He savored the way her fierce veneer subtly trembled at the faintest hint of a threat from him. That kind of control calmed his nerves and steadied him. He thrived on it.

She could fulfill her duties without further direction, so he raced back to the robotics lab only to find that Pyranis had not yet arrived.

Of course, for non-speedsters, it had only been about ten minutes since he gave his order to Pyranis, but his patience was too thin to be coddled by rationality. So he ran through the facility until he found Pyranis limping through the halls. Zoom scooped him up and zipped him back to the lab, dropping him on his feet. Pyranis's legs buckled, forcing him to his knees.

It was a good look for the megalomaniac, bowed in agony before his true ruler, but Hunter didn't have time to indulge the passing impulse. It was clear Chase had wounded Pyranis badly enough to cause delayed healing, which was particularly astounding for a man who was - by his own pronouncements - made of pure fire.

"I came as fast as I could," Pyranis said. "That woman... did something to me."

 _"I have no need for your legs,"_ Zoom said harshly. _"Bring down these cells, Pyranis, if you ever want to leave here again."_

Pyranis looked at him with something akin to awe, as if he was expecting an immediate beheading and instead received a blessing. He put one foot under himself and forced himself to stand, and though he vocalized nothing, the trembling of his features made it clear that the man was in complete agony.

"I will destroy every last one of them," he vowed.

Zoom flashed his blue lightning before vanishing again, this time to examine the state of the room. Black Siren had found her mother and recruited Berserker to help her annihilate the carbyne separating them. She funneled her voice into a tiny pinpoint that was so powerful it drew sparks as it landed, and Berserker pummeled the weakened material. Effective, perhaps, but unnecessarily slow...

They weren't the only ones. Countless minions were likewise attempting to free one captive or another, but none had the power or the wit to match the strength of carbyne. He felt a surge of pride as he recalled how swiftly Caitlin managed the same feat that so many of his minions failed at now.

But that satisfaction gave way to something else, something heavy and jarring. He hadn't seen Caitlin the past three days, and they hadn't spoken since their fight almost a week ago. He missed the sound of her voice and the sleepy look on her face over breakfast. He longed for her company.

Hunter refocused his energies on his original plan. He darted through the facility and transported the metas still making their way to the robotics lab. He continued for what felt like hours, though it was hardly twenty minutes by any watch or clock. He only stopped when the environment shifted enough to catch his attention.

The one true drawback of moving at super-sonic speeds was that sound was distorted. It was like a bad time lag on a video chat, his brain taking just a few moments longer to piece together what his ears heard.

So it took him far too long to realize that alarms were blaring.

Then the lab was plunged into true darkness as the emergency lighting cut out.

His attention garnered, he flew around the lab to assess the situation, but sirens emanated from every speaker as the lights flickered. There was no way to hone in on the source of the disturbance.

Then he heard the unmistakable tone of Motley Siren's deathblow.

He circled the room, searching for the faintest hint of Motley's garish costume. Hunter growled in frustration when the darkness concealed his quarry and forced him to weave through the maze-like lab. Even a millisecond of delay was unacceptable, especially when the prisoners began to thrash against their cells, every moment extended in slow motion snapshots. It was as if hew as moving through a never-ending sequence of grotesque statues, each one wearing the visage of terror, misery, or anguish.

Finally, he caught sight of a jester's cap to his left, so he changed course. What he discovered was... disappointing.

Three MTU employees - lab workers, from the looks of them - were lying dead at Motley's feet. Lullaby was next to him, frantically pounding on a keyboard and cursing like a sailor.

Knowing the Sirens as he did, he could only imagine the events as they unfolded. Perhaps Lullaby had enthralled an employee with a high clearance level to unlock the cells, or maybe Motley had some leverage on one of them. Whatever the scenario, things had gone south, probably when one of the other employees intervened.

Lullaby must've done something right, though, because as Zoom closed in on them, the lights were restored. But that only highlighted how bad the situation had become.

Every screen read TERMINATION SEQUENCE, and Hunter didn't need to see any more to put two and two together.

 _"Break open these cells!"_ Zoom ordered, his voice booming so loudly that he didn't need the intercom. _"All of them! Now!"_

Chaos erupted, and cacophony followed as every metahuman reinvested in their assault on carbyne tenfold. He raced the closest cluster unmanned cells. He drew from deep within, accessing every iota of his power, and he unleashed it in a fury of fists and lightning.

At first, his energy did little more than rattle the walls, but then his speed kicked up to a level he hadn't known existed. The vibrations from his assault harmonized with the friction and the sparks. There was no sign of the carbyne buckling, nothing to indicate anything had changed, yet he perceived the newfound fragility. Instinctively, he honed in on the weakest point, and the lightest touch of his pinky rippled the surface, which then split open like a pistachio.

Hunter felt rejuvenated and galvanized, so he proceeded to the next containment unit, and the next, and the next. Each life snatched from the jaws of death gave him another rushed that spurred him forward.

He was unaware of Pyranis's progress across the lab, not to mention the burst of success from Black Siren's quadrant. The only things holding his attention were the captives thrashing and gasping for breath. They were running out of time.

He was so wrapped up in the thrill that he lost track of his position, first carelessly drifting toward his minions, then crossing their paths. Even when he realized his misstep, he continued without faltering. He had only started apart from them on the off chance that he couldn't shatter the carbyne. But no one could witness him fail if there was no chance of it occurring. So why not let them see him, their all-powerful leader, free their captured brethren.

That was how he ended up surrounded by an audience as the screens flashed TERMINATION COMPLETE. To him, it was redundant commentary, for unnatural stillness had crept in around him as the remaining captives collapsed. There was a corresponding frenzy to match as his minions mounted a final, desperate rally.

In super-speed, everything unfolded so slowly that it felt tedious and wasteful, inspiring nothing but restlessness. This time, however, he experienced something very different and deeply unpleasant. It was accompanied by a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that reminded him of that terrible moment he had seen Caitlin crumpled and frozen on the ground.

Dread. He was feeling dread.

As soon as he recognized it, he dismissed it outright. Why should he care if any of these pathetic people died? He only bothered to save these gnats to fuel The Cause, to show metahumans where their loyalties must lie if they wanted to survive. Their lives meant nothing to him beyond that. What right did these specs have to elicit anything remotely similar to what he'd felt with Caitlin in jeopardy?

Furious at himself, he redirected his rage toward the nearest occupied cell, pummeling the unforgiving surface haphazardly, unable to control his fuming wrath or coordinate an affective assault.

"Please, stop!" someone said.

It was the woman in the cell he was attacking. She had long brown hair and warm, earnest eyes of the same hue, marred by a bloodshot crimson. She was pale but radiant, and there was a genuine kindness to her despite being on death's doorstep.

"Let it be over," she pleaded, repeating it over and over again like a mantra, occasionally punctuated with, "Please, don't... just don't."

Her voice faded, then cracked, and then fell silent. At some point - the exact moment escaped him - he stopped. Not just pounding against the carbyne, but fully and completely stopped. He stood before the woman resigned to her fate, despite the visible crack that continued to spread across her confinement's wall.

His blue lightning flashed erratically as he watched her last tumultuous breath leave her lungs, and with it, the light in her eyes. Just like he'd seen all those years ago when he watched his own mother die.

On some level, he was aware that countless prisoners had likewise breathed their last, but his thoughts were consumed by the last moments of the women before him. The weight of absolute defeat crushed the thrill of his previous triumph to dust. Helplessness and anguish followed, and that familiar pain gave him an unanticipated surge of power.

His rage bubbled up, demanding him to lash out at those responsible for leaving this woman crumpled on the floor, her death a spectacle in a voyeuristic cage, and her final expression equal parts horror and relief as her eyes reflected people she could no longer see.

But those monsters were already dead, and any still living were scurrying away in fear, broken and bleeding. What revenge was left to exact?

The very least he could was honor her request and respect her remains. She didn't deserve to be left like this. So he took a nearby lab coat and vibrated through the carbyne. In a single heartbeat, he closed her eyes and covered her body, leaving as quickly as he had arrived.

Then he ran as hard as he could, channeling his energy into the exhilaration of speed, burning away the acute agony of loss. He wasn't a helpless child, not anymore. He was the fastest man alive, the most feared man in three universes, and there was nothing and nobody powerful enough to challenge him, let alone harm him.

Hunter felt fear and doubt melt away as his fury transmuted into raw speed, pushing him into the apex of his power. He could sense every part of the facility, every minute shift in temperature, and every molecule of the world around him.

Then the faintest tremor roused his suspicion. He pondered the remote possibility that Geomancer had survived his long captivity and risen with a vengeance, but dispensed with the idea when he realized that he had felt quivering like this before. And it wasn't a quake. No, this was a demure shiver heralding an explosion.

It was an unsettling realization, as he hadn't authorized anything of this magnitude. Certainly not while his metas were inside the facility.

He moved so swiftly that he rounded the countless ignition points between their first hints of spark and the glowing embers that threatened to engulf the world in roaring flames. He zipped unsuspecting minions (and their captives) out of what he calculated as the blast zone, piecing events together as he went, his mind working in overdrive.

Ordnance, ever the good soldier, had done exactly as ordered and strategically set charges to cave in the catacombs to trap any members of the MTU who managed to retreat that far. That way they could ensure capture while securing the facility above, allowing his minions to scoop up the prisoners at their leisure.

Unfortunately, Typhoon had conjured a lighting storm so powerful that it grew out of his control, precipitating a series of events that triggered Ordnance's explosives. Hunter considered leaving Typhoon to the fiery maelstrom of his own making as punishment for his incompetence, but the only tribulation the weather manipulator endured was being the last whisked out of danger. He wasn't even singed.

Hunter hadn't spared anyone from the deafening blast nor the tumultuous shockwave that followed as fire rose up and up and up till the flames reached out to the stars of the night sky.

There was a twinge of pain in his left arm; a quaint but palpable indicator that his calculations weren't as precise as he assumed them to be.

Still, he had predicted the size and scope of the destruction quite accurately, given the surprise ignition. He hadn't anticipated the fire burning so hot nor rising so high, leaving him with a mess of complications, all of which had to be handled before he could allow Caitlin anywhere near this place.

He smiled. He was up against his favorite opponent, the clock. He'd made a habit of racing time and winning. 

* * *

**Several weeks ago on Earth-1...** Jay gazed up at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused and unblinking. He should've been sleeping, but he couldn't will himself to relax. Just a few hours ago (though it felt like _days_ ), Barry had announced his plan to rescue Jessie by traveling to Earth-2 with Harry and Cisco.

He had insisted that he join them, but Barry had refused. Jay Garrick had too much celebrity and too popular a face to return to Earth-2 without drawing attention.

He turned his head to see Caitlin's beautiful, slumbering face. If he were the man he pretended to be, he would be fuming over being left behind, no matter how sound and rational the reason. But he wasn't. All this talk about Earth-2 had dredged up everything he had been willfully avoiding for months, everything he told himself there was no point on dwelling on it until the time came.

Caitlin's life was here, on Earth-1, and his life - his _real_ life - was on Earth-2. If all went according to plan, the two universes would soon be sealed from one another with no way to pass between them.

And that left him with a choice to make and not a lot of time to decide one way or the other.

He couldn't help but stare at Caitlin, wondering after the possibilities of a life on Earth-1. 

* * *

**Now...** Caitlin wasn't sure how long she stood and watched the blue lightning streak to and from the devastated stronghold. Everything felt surreal, down to the light breeze caressing her skin: the throng of people surrounding her, the height of the cliff, the whirl of activity in her periphery. She caught herself holding her breath, her body unnaturally tense. Her only saving grace was the young boy in her arms.

Then the lightning vanished, and she backed away, allowing the crowd to swallow them both as she caught her breath.

It was soothing to pretend that she could lose herself in a mob with no responsibility except the boy she promised to protect, even if only for a little while. So she indulged herself with the absurd idea that she could walk away from all this, leave it behind without a second glance.

 _But you can't._

That was a truth she refused to entertain.

 _Even if Zoom hadn't abducted you, you can't walk away._

Yes, she could. She wasn't supposed to be here, submerged in horrors and surrounded by beaten and bleeding people with super-powers. She wasn't like Cisco or Barry or even Killer Frost. She was only human. If she didn't get away from all this, she'd die.

 _And what would happen to all of them?_

She bit her lip. She looked around her and saw Multiplex - one of him, anyway - less than an arm's length away, carrying somebody who had collapsed. There were people spattered with oil and blood and others with poorly bandaged wounds and barely-set broken bones. And all around her, dozens of children lumbered through the masses, all of them afraid but searching.

 _What would happen to all of them without you?_

A shuttering rumble and thunderous explosion yanked her from her thoughts. Her eyes went to the edge of the cliff, which thankfully hadn't lost any bystanders, and the rising smoke plume made it clear that the battle inside the facility had come to a very violent end.

"Bellatrix," Blink said in her ear. "You're needed elsewhere."

Caitlin hadn't seen her approach, so the unexpected greeting made her start in surprise.

"Leave the boy," Blink continued.

"He stays with me," Caitlin said.

"All children go to the Comet," Blink explained. "He'll be safe there."

"He stays with me," she repeated vehemently.

Part of her knew that Blink was right. RJ shouldn't be here, in the middle of a warzone, and sending him ahead to the Comet was the most sensible thing to do. But her relentless sensibility had worn straight through her, rendering its normally persuasive arguments moot. She didn't care if she was being paranoid or irrational. She had promised Killer Frost that she'd keep him safe, and to do that, she needed to keep him close.

Blink must've gotten impatient, because the next thing she knew, the world dissolved around her, and when it came together again, they were standing in a tiny clearing enclosed by trees. The quietness of the area felt suffocating, like she had been deafened during the abrupt teleportation.

"I'll take him straight to the Comet," Blink said, reaching out for RJ.

Caitlin jerked away, pulling herself and RJ out of Blink's reach.

"He's not going anywhere without me," she said, her voice sharp and commanding. "Do you understand?"

"Bellatrix," someone else said.

The speaker was Totem, who had apparently been waiting for their arrival.

Blink began, "I know you said to come alone, but - "

"I understand," Totem interrupted. "Thank you, Blink. I'll take it from here."

The teleporter vanished without another word.

"There is a patient in the next clearing," Totem said. "I can watch over the boy, if you will allow it."

Caitlin considered her options. Totem wouldn't call on her without reason, and whoever the patient was must be in dire condition, otherwise Blink could've moved transported them back to the Comet for treatment. RJ was young, but not so young that she could assume he would forget a traumatic experience like witnessing in-the-field medical care for someone critically wounded. RJ certainly didn't need anymore trauma in his life.

So Caitlin chose her words carefully and said, "So long as I am alive, he doesn't leave here without me."

"You have my word, Bellatrix."

She turned to RJ and said, "This is Totem. She's a... a friend. And she's going to watch you while I help... another friend. It'll only be for a little while, I promise. Then I'll be right back, RJ."

She could see fear and concern flicker over the boy's face, and for a moment, she considered taking him with her.

But then he nodded his head, his sad eyes never looking away, and mumbled something that sounded very much like, "Okay mommy."

Had she heard those words from his mouth, she never could've left him behind, not for a patient, not for any reason on this earth. So she pretended that he had said _origami_ , and she handed him to Totem, who set him on her hip and pointed the way to the next clearing before turning her full attention to RJ.

Caitlin walked quickly, weaving through the trees, until they opened to another clearing. Despite being in a deeply wooded area, there was a metal tray table with a sterilization unit and a large surgical table.

And on that table sat Hunter, his cowl discarded and his suit in disarray, only partially removed to reveal his left side from shoulder to hip, which was covered in a thick, black substance.

She couldn't have been more than five yards from him, yet he was too preoccupied to notice, his shoulders and head slumped and his breathing, ragged. He'd never let his guard down like this, not willingly.

He must've been in excruciating pain.

Her stomach dropped and her mouth went dry as concern flooded her, drowning her caution and trepidation and spurring her forward.

"What happened, Hunter?" she asked, her professionalism hindered slightly by how foreign his name was to her.

 _Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

He looked up at her, and his face lit up as he said, "Caitlin."

The smile had barely reached his lips when an abrupt wince interrupted it. His breathing became shallow for a few seconds as he struggled to quell his pain.

Compelled to action, Caitlin took a long cotton swab from the supplied medical tray and collected a sample of from his chest. The black substance was viscous with a strong scent of iron. It was his blood, congealed and darkened in some kind of chemical reaction. She suspected that whatever caused it was somehow responsible for compromising his meta-healing.

Her mind reeled with possibilities, none of which seemed even remotely viable. Zoom could dodge, outrun, and deflect anything thrown at him. She opened her mouth to ask again what had happened, but she stopped when she saw that he wasn't in any state to answer questions. His eyes were closed; his breathing, labored; and his fists, clenched. It looked like he was channeling all his energy into staying upright.

"Lie down," she said. When he didn't respond, she raised her voice and repeated, "Hunter, I need you to lie down."

"I'm fine," he grunted.

She put one hand on his uninjured shoulder, and his breath caught as he looked up at her, surprised. For some reason, she was shocked by how blue his eyes were.

"You aren't fine," she said firmly. "Lie down, take a deep breath, and tell me what happened."

His eyes went wide for a few moments, his face flickering between pain and anger with the slightest hint of confusion. But then he nodded his head, yes, and let her guide him so he was lying supine on the table.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in discomfort, so instead of pressing him for answers, she went ahead and sought them for herself. The only way to assess his injuries was to examine his wounds. She began to wipe his skin clean with distilled water and what she hoped were sterile towels.

She was surprised to discover that his chest was clear. When she moved on to his shoulder, he hissed in pain, and his right hand shot up and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Hunter," she said as calmly as possible. "Let me go."

He pulled his hand away, apology written all over his face, but she didn't want to hear it. No, she couldn't hear it... not from him, not here, not now.

"What happened?" she repeated, cutting his apology off before he could begin.

"Not sure," he replied. "Began to hurt after the explosion... assumed it was debris. It seemed fine... didn't really start to hurt until hours later. I tried to remove whatever it was, but I couldn't phase... and my speed, I've been losing speed."

"But I watched you... you were running a few minutes ago," she said.

"No choice," he responded. "Blink lost one of her familiars. There was no one else to get them out."

For some reason, his words were like a one-two punch to the gut. Hunter's situation was dire, and the smallest part of her was screaming for her to walk away and leave him to whatever fate befell him. With any luck, Zoom would die, and all she had to do was stall... waste time with empty promises, just like the ones he had whispered to her as she was falling asleep, back when she thought she was falling in love with a good man named Jay Garrick.

The idea crept up on her, gradually evolving into an overwhelming temptation with claws that threatened to tear her apart. It wouldn't just be easy to let him suffer and die; it would feel good, too.

But what he had just said... the Hunter who strolled in and stole Barry's speed would've happily left people behind to die, especially when it came to saving himself. Yet the man before her now had risked limb - if not his life - to pull people from danger.

No, he was the same villain as he had always been. He had successfully shown her that this universe was filled with others just like him, possibly even worse than him, but that didn't make him a hero.

 _What if this is some kind of test?_

She couldn't put it past Hunter to set up some kind of trial to see if she would be loyal to him. Or maybe he was looking for some excuse to punish her, to lock her in a windowless cell and call it her fault.

"Hold still," she said.

She waved her palm over his left shoulder, chest, and arm, scanning for any foreign bodies. When the image loaded, she ran the scan again, certain the first was faulty. But the second only confirmed what she had seen.

His subclavian artery was compromised by some kind of mass but not debris. If anything, it was like a tumor encroaching on the blood vessel, obstructing flow and likely causing poor healing and claudication. There were other similar blockages along the lateral thoracic, subscapular, and superior thoracic arteries.

She hesitated as her mind drew a blank. She'd never seen anything like this before, and she had no idea how to extract them without rupturing the compromised blood vessels.

"That bad?" he asked, his words somehow playful despite the grimace he wore.

"Are you sure this was from an explosion?" she asked. "Do you remember what specifically hit you or the actual moment of impact?"

"No, no... not then," he replied. "Before... before that, I took a few bullets."

"Someone _shot_ you?" she repeated in disbelief. "How?"

"Friction-seeking ammunition," he grunted in reply. "Another gift from the R-and-D branch of the MTU - "

"Friction-seeking?" she asked, interrupting him. "And they actually hit you?"

"A speed-dampener was involved," he answered defensively. "It was nothing - a few pinpricks to the shoulder."

"Those pinpricks are now obstruction circulation," she replied. "And I think the more you use your speed, the worse they get."

"Can you get... get them out?" he asked.

"If I tried to cut them out here, you'd bleed to death," she explained. "And I don't know if I _can_ cut them out. I won't know until..."

She couldn't bring herself to complete her thought.

"Until you cut into me," he said when he realized she wasn't going to continue. "Well... better get started."

"I - no," she stumbled.

"I can't trust anyone else," he said. "Think of it as taking your pound of flesh."

She could tell he was trying to make joke, but there was nothing funny about it.

"I don't do that," she snapped.

"Caitlin - "

"No," she cut him off. "You don't understand. Your metabolism is faster than Bar - than any other speedster. There's nothing I can give you to put you under or to help with the pain. You would need to lie perfectly still as I surgically remove all four obstructions, and even if you could manage that, chances are you'd still bleed to death before I finished."

"You almost sound worried about me," Hunter said, flashing his smug, toothy smile.

She wanted to shout at him, to loose all her frustrations on the man responsible for them. How could he make her love him, only to break her heart by revealing his true, demonic nature? How could he draw her heart and soul into this conflict then so flippantly disregard her concerns?

"Caitlin," he said, his voice soft and pleading. "You've seen what's happening here. What the MTU does. You see what they are. If you still believe I'm the worst possible thing in this universe, then all you have to do is walk away. I wouldn't blame you."

 _Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

But then she remembered Blink Junior, the young boy in her care who had both of his eyes removed for an experiment, and she recalled the countless tiny cells with adjacent screens that read TERMINATION COMPLETE. The memory of each vacant face she had seen, including her own mother's (or, near-enough) surfaced and refused to abate.

Hunter wasn't a hero, but after what she'd seen in the last week, she was ready to admit that he wasn't the worst thing in this universe.

In fact, there was part of her, deep down, that knew that he wasn't even _close_.

"We'll need straps to hold you down," she said.

"I'll keep still," he replied quietly.

"Hunter - "

"No straps!" he snapped, interrupting her.

From the contortion of his face, the burst of energy that animated his response cost him dearly. But what struck her more was the fact that fear was palpable in his voice. For some reason, he was more afraid of a few straps than the pain of an impromptu surgery and the very real possibility of bleeding out.

 _The asylum._

She didn't have time to contemplate thoughts like that. Or, more correctly, _Hunter_ didn't have time.

"All right," she said. "I'm going to start with the smallest one. It's deep, near the lateral thoracic artery, but it's also the least likely - "

"Just do it," he said, his interruption almost lost to the weakness of his voice. "Don't be afraid, and don't stop till they're all out."

He took a deep breath and added, "Please."

"Okay," she replied. "Okay."

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 _Warning: The end of chapter notes contain minor spoilers for the chapter. Read at your own risk._

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter is derived from a combination several traditional names for Orion's Belt: the South African _Drie Susters_ (Three Sisters), the Lithuanian _Trys seselės verpėjo_ (Three Spinning Sisters), the Latin American/Spanish _Las tres Marías_ (The Three Marys), and countless traditions (English, Germanic, Philippine, Puerto Rican, Slavic, South African to name a few) that use variations of The Three Magi/The Three Kings/The Three Wise Men.

 **Author's note** : I hope you enjoyed this latest installment!


	9. Blood Star

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Caitlin pursues a risky surgery to try to save Hunter's life. Meanwhile, the MTU launches a major assault to win back its lost facility and Fort Greene.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**  
 **Blood Star**

* * *

 **About two months ago on Earth-1...** Caitlin's wheels were turning as she triple-checked her results. All of them were negative. She stared at the screen in frustration and disbelief. Every avenue she explored was just another dead end. She must've missed something, _anything_.

"I thought Harry was the only one living here," Cisco said as he entered the Cortex.

She glanced at the clock on her screen and balked when she saw it was nearly nine.

"I, uh, must've lost track of time," she replied automatically.

"Been doing that a lot lately," he said pointedly. "You okay?"

"No," she replied, the word escaping her without due consideration. "Jay's getting worse, and I haven't found anything that can help him. Not from our earth or his."

"Huh," he said. "Do you think there's a chance that - _maybe_ \- this has something to do with the fact that Jay wasn't, you know... forthcoming about his condition?"

A throbbing pain started in her temples. She could tell that Cisco hadn't bumped into her by accident. He must've noticed the sudden uptick in late nights and the tension between her and Jay.

"I'm gonna take your silence as admission," he continued. "And I feel you. I'm peeved about it, too, but you don't see me avoiding the man."

"I'm not avoiding him, Cisco," she replied. "It's like Jay's body is rapidly aging... cell death, and it's... I think the only reason he's survived so long without obvious symptoms was the SpeedForce, but that's been out of his system for almost a year now, and whatever's happening... it's accelerating. I don't know how to stop it, Cisco. I can't even slow it down."

"Huh," Cisco said. "Did Barry run through time again? Because I swear you said that exact same thing two nights ago. You know, the last time I found you in here after dinner."

She closed her eyes as she realized, yes, she had told Cisco all of this right after her third round of simulations failed. She hadn't slept much between then and now, and her memories from the past few days were thin and foggy.

"I'm sorry, Cisco, I - I can't..."

She didn't know how to express the countless, writhing thoughts teaming in her head, and at this point, she didn't even want to try.

"Hey, I get it," he said. "You don't want anything bad to happen to Jay. The man named Sand Demon and the Speed Cannon. We wanna keep him around. Keyword: we. Us. You're not in this alone. Even Harry's helping."

"We're - Jay is running out of time."

"It's not all on you, Caitlin," Cisco replied. Then he added, "Listen, I know my track record makes me like the last person to give advice on the subject, but it's pretty clear that he makes you happy. Happier than you've been for a long time."

"That's why we have to save him."

"We will," Cisco said. "In the mean time, maybe holding up in here isn't the only option. I'm just saying." 

* * *

**Now on Earth-2...** Hunter took a long, settling breath as the near-constant pain pitched. The sharp edge of the scalpel was one thing, but the digging and the twisting redoubled the agony. He focused every ounce of his strength on keeping his mind calm and his body still.

He couldn't pretend the pain wasn't happening; he couldn't compartmentalize and forget it like his many psychological scars. The surgery was limited to his left arm, yet all his nerves were aflame with protest, demanding he do something - anything - to make it stop.

Each cut built upon the last, and every time he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. He couldn't remember the last time pain affected him like this. That was probably a good thing. He needed to stay in the moment, conserve his energy, keep still so Caitlin could save him.

 _Do it for her._

It was coming from that part of his mind that normally wasn't trustworthy. It voiced his doubts and fears and reminded him of every mistake he had ever made. It undercut his every victory and tainted any measure of joy he eked out. And for some reason, it was the only part of him that wasn't currently screaming in agony, the only voice in his head that was making sense.

 _You can take the pain. Do it for her._

The weakest aspect of himself was the only one still speaking, so he listened. Like a lullaby, the precise words became lost, but the message remained strong and sure.

 _Do it for her._

No matter how much he wanted to scream and writhe, he resisted.

Hunter didn't know how long it went on. He kept telling himself that this was the last obstruction, so he only had to hold out a little while longer. Just a little while longer. And when he couldn't lie to himself any more, he returned to his touchstone.

 _Hold on. Do it for her._

"Hunter, can you hear me?" Caitlin asked. "Hunter! Hunter? Blink three times if you can hear me."

Unable to speak, he blinked three times.

"The last obstruction... it's deep," she said. "Deeply entangled with the artery... I can't remove it without compromising the blood vessel. You'll lose what's left of your blood volume in less than a minute. I can't cut it out unless I do something drastic."

"Do it," he grunted.

"If I do this, it will compromise your arm," she said. "You're weak. And you're healing is slow. Almost... almost human. If I do this, you could lose function or the entire limb, and - "

"Do it," he repeated. "Please."

"Hunter, I'm sorry," she said. "This is going to hurt."

 _How could the pain be any worse?_

As if to answer his question, he heard the roar of a flame. Apparently, the only way to prevent him from bleeding to death was to cauterize straight through the artery. She had to burn him to save him.

He did his best to hold back, but when she turned the torch on him, he screamed.

The sound echoed for miles. 

* * *

Caitlin pressed ahead despite the horrible, endless scream and the smell of burning flesh, though she knew the latter was phantosmia, her senses conjuring the odors her suit filtered out. The hollow sound of Hunter's cry continued long after she finished the cauterization. She had nearly removed the last obstruction when he fell silent.

She attempted to keep a cool head, but the abrupt noiselessness was deafening, spurring her to finish as quickly as possible. Objectively, she knew she needed to be meticulous - the procedure wasn't remotely textbook, which made closing far more complex - but it wasn't enough to quell her instinct to rush. The cauterization had reduced the amount of viable tissue, and most of what remained was too friable to manipulate. So she placed two bioabsorbable stents to reconnect and support the burned blood vessel, hoping that they were as effective as the literature claimed. As with the previous incisions, she used a medical glue designed to dissolve during the metahealing process. She couldn't help but worry about its limitations, however, given the circumstances.

Panic finally won out when there was no visible pulse in the exposed tissue after she released the hemostat. She couldn't see a visible pulse anywhere in the arm. She used her suit to check his vitals. All of them were waning.

She hastily replaced the ligaments, tendons, and muscle, layering without suture or attachment, save for the dermis, which she held together with skin glue. She then proceeded to splint the arm, making the dressing as tight as possible, immobilizing the limb.

When she turned back to his face, Hunter's eyes were closed, and he was seven shades too pale. Out of habit, her fingers went to his neck for a carotid pulse.

There was nothing.

She waved her palms over his chest, using her suit to scan for vital signs, but there was no indication of life. Respiration and heart rate were absent, and blood volume was fatally low.

 _Of course_ it was. Most of his blood was pooled around the table or spattered all over her suit. He'd bled to death.

She had warned him. She had said he'd bleed out. She told him he'd die if she tried this. What had she been thinking, even suggesting it?

She backed away from the table as the realization slammed into her: he was dead. _Dead_. She became acutely aware that she was elbow-deep in his blood. She'd killed Jay.

 _Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom._

Just a few hours ago, she would've felt better - safer, even liberated - if Zoom was dead. But in this moment, she didn't see a defeated villain or an enemy who received his comeuppance; now, all she saw was a man - Hunter - broken and bloody and lost forever.

She'd killed him.

 _You tried to save him. That was more than he deserved._

Caitlin felt hopeless, helpless, and furious. Wasn't watching someone she loved die once enough?

 _Someone you love?_

She braced herself for the fallout, for the weight of everything to crash into her, but instead, all she felt was a peculiar kind of numbness. She was trapped between an urge to do something - anything - and a deep-seated denial that kept her rooted to the spot.

She blinked, and for no reason at all, her eyes fell on Hunter's motionless body. The too-pale skin of his exposed chest stood out against the coarse, black suit that still clung to half his body. What struck her was how small he seemed now, in spite of all his fury and power, all his pain and tyranny. For all the terror Zoom visited upon two universes, Hunter was so... so... _human_.

She didn't have anything to cover him with, but leaving him like this wasn't right. So she drew his suit over his torso, adjusted his head, and even ran her fingers down his face to make sure his eyes were completely closed.

The numbness fell away as a deluge of emotions swept through her. She felt splintered, and she hated herself for it. Feeling anything other than relief over his death was foolish, just a byproduct of his mind games and manipulations. The man devastated an entire universe. He was a monster. He deserved to die and leave no one to mourn him.

He deserved to be forgotten like a bad dream.

Caitlin turned away as her breath got caught on the lump in her throat. She steadied herself, but it wasn't enough. Her suit was too constricting, confining her every movement.

She ripped the mask off her face, desperate for more air. The cold morning air smacked against her too-hot skin, buffeting the warm tears that poured from her eyes. She couldn't stop it, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't think. She couldn't speak. She barely kept her feet under her as her crying escalated to an uncontrollable sob.

Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe every good thing he did was just to manipulate her. That didn't change how she felt about him.

It didn't change the fact that she'd never have a chance to know one way or the other.

She stumbled into a tree, suddenly lightheaded, probably because she hadn't had any food or water in the past twelve hours. When she tried to stand up straight, she felt the world spin around her before she collapsed.

Had she remained conscious just a moment longer, she would've felt someone catch her. 

* * *

Hunter came-to abruptly, his eyes snapping open as soon as consciousness returned. It felt as if his arm and chest were impaled on a hot poker but that was infinitely better than the tearing, searing agony that had driven him into the blackness.

He distinctly remembered his heart stopping. Then... nothing. He couldn't recall anything between that moment and this, yet, instinctively, he knew it had been more than a few seconds. More than a few minutes, even.

Before he had time to reflect on his situation, the muffled sound of someone crying reached his ears. His heart stuttered through its next few beats when he wondered if she was crying for him.

 _Caitlin wouldn't shed tears over a monster like you._

He sat up carefully, getting the measure of his injuries. His arm was splinted stiffly, but there was no good way for him to support it once he stood upright. It flopped awkwardly to one side, inspiring an ache that went down to the bone. He nearly called out to her, but his voice failed him when he saw her stumble into a tree.

He raced to her side, and though his speed was at an all-time low, he made it in time to catch her with his good arm.

"Caitlin? Caitlin!"

Panic pushed his fatigued heart to its limit. Her pulse was steady, as was her breathing; she was only unconscious.

He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He wanted to hold her properly - to carry her - but the splint wouldn't give. He needed help.

"Totem!" he shouted. " _Totem!_ "

He waited, and he couldn't help but stare as he cradled her against his chest. Her face was streaked red, and her long brown hair was plastered against her head from her cowl.

She was breathtaking.

 _Always._

* * *

The next few hours were the most confounding in Hunter's recent memory. Zoom couldn't be seen wounded, let alone in a cast, but removing it would risk re-injury, which was particularly problematic now that the only doctor he trusted was incapacitated.

With his options limited, he had to operate through a proxy, Totem. She had already seen him injured before, and she wouldn't dare betray him.

Caitlin was his priority, and she needed medical treatment and rest. Unable to carry her, he arranged for transport via Blink.

And that's when he found out about the boy, RJ.

Totem insisted that the child travel and remain with Caitlin, per her own demands.

In all likelihood, she had simply bonded with the youngster when she rescued him from the aftermath of the siege. She usually bonded with her parents. There was no reason to assume that this boy was _special_ in any way. How important could he be, given that she'd set him aside when Hunter called?

Besides, the more relationships she forged on Earth-2, the less likely she would be to run, should the opportunity present itself.

So he ordered the boy's transport with Caitlin back to the Comet, where he was to be set up in her room for the time being. Then he waited, out of sight, until Blink came and teleported them away.

That's when everything began to go sideways.

It took half an hour and about nearly cheeseburgers to regain even a fraction of his strength and speed, but it was more than enough to get him running again.

He raced the perimeter of Fort Greene expecting to find resistance, but the entire facility was still and silent. Hazard and Haunt had maintained the lockdown without incident.

Yet there had been a secondary attack during the siege by a sizeable force that infiltrated the ruins of the building and activated its self-destruct sequence. For the most part, it had been foolish suicide mission that failed to kill a single metahuman, but it did force them to retreat much sooner than initially planned, which meant abandoning resources that could've been exploited. The computers alone could've provided endless information about the anti-metahuman technology being developed, not to mention the the research and surveillance on suspected metas.

Hunter had assumed that the strike force had come from Fort Greene, somehow taking out Hazard and Haunt before they could raise the alarm, but clearly that wasn't the case. So where had the unit come from?

He didn't have time to consider the possibilities, not with hundreds of metas out in the open in broad daylight, grouped around makeshift medical tents. They'd be sitting ducks for an organized military assault.

Hunter made Totem issue a full retreat, which meant prioritizing the transport of cleared individuals over procedures to remove Trojans and other malicious implants.

It was a polarizing decision that triggered a wave of resistance. Few were willing to abandon family or friends, let alone leave them behind in a warzone to endure dangerous surgeries.

The majority of it was sniping and backtalk, little more than kicking and screaming, yet Totem wasted hours quelling an uproar that never would've happened had the order come directly from Zoom.

Some of the more stalwart rebels began to linger, hiding out of sight and disrupting the already tenuous transportation schedule. He wanted nothing more than to make an example of somebody, knowing that the rest would fall in line as soon as they saw it, but his arm was too sore to remove the cast.

So he managed the situation from the shadows, occasionally knocking heads together, but mostly dragging stragglers into the open single-handedly in a flash of blue lightning so Blink could take them away.

Somehow, he kept his temper in check for the first few hours.

But then Totem caught sight of enemy forces amassing and moving in. A bird's eye view revealed that most of the troops were marching for Fort Greene, but a substantial number were heading straight for them, equipped with heavy artillery.

There wasn't time to think or discuss matters.

" _Start burn site protocol_ ," Zoom barked at Totem.

If she had questions, she didn't ask them. Neither did she comment when he ripped off his cast, freeing his arm.

It ached furiously, but he could handle the pain, especially now that he had something to distract himself with: a fight.

He took a secondary guard - Black Siren and a few of her minions, along with a new minion called Multiplex - and went to Fort Greene for Haunt and Hazard. He was pleased to find both minions already setting pitfalls and other traps for the next wave of soldiers.

Black Siren and Hazard seemed particularly invested in the various snares and deathtraps, so Zoom left them to whatever sabotage they could muster in the allotted ten minutes. He personally extracted Haunt and the Calculator. He wasn't a meta, but he had proven himself useful, which won him a modicum of protection for the time being.

By the time he and his secondary guard returned to primary location, Totem had called in the big guns. Any uninjured meta had returned, along with several injured metas who decided they were ready for another fight.

Unlike before, they didn't have the element of surprise, and their enemies had plenty of tactical advantage, not to mention drones. The ensuing fight was nothing but abject chaos; fire and brimstone with blue lightning to underscore it all.

 _Zoom always wins._

It was exactly what Hunter needed to burn through his frustration and rage. He tore apart drones and effortless snapped necks. He was a blur of broken bones and bloodshed, and even though his speed was still low, he felt like himself again.

Once he was done shattering these worthless foot soldiers, he would return to the Comet, victorious, and then he would finally get the one thing he wanted more than anything else: Caitlin's full allegiance. After everything she'd seen, there was no way she would side with anything other than the Cause.

 _Zoom always wins._

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 _Warning: The end of chapter notes contain minor spoilers for the chapter. Read at your own risk._

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter comes from the Kauluakoko, the Hawaiian name for Betelguese, the second brightest star in the Orion constellation. Kauluakoko means "brilliant red star" (with _koko_ meaning "blood").

 **Author's note** : I hope you enjoyed the latest installment!


	10. The Keeper of the Months

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Caitlin recovers from the trauma of the siege at the Comet.

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**  
 **Keeper of the Months  
**

* * *

Caitlin stared at the magnificent waterfall that stretched up, up, up into the sky, so high she couldn't see where it began. It was breathtaking.

She got close, so close that its roaring was deafening. She reached out and ran her hand under it, testing the pressure and temperature before she ducked under the cascade, letting it drench her to the bone, relishing the sweeping rush as it washed everything away.

A hand was at her elbow, warm and gentle, and she knew who it was before she turned to see him. He was already so close she could only see his face and a titillating glimpsed of his bare chest.

 _How much of him was bare?_

She shuttered at the thought, thrilled with the possibilities. Then his arms wrapped around her as his mouth captured hers, and she became lost in his tongue and lips and teeth, drowning in his eyes, more black than blue, blown wide with desire. She drank him in as he lifted her, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she sank over his flesh, groaning helplessly into their kiss.

His thrusts reached a punishing pace, the rhythm wild, reckless, perfect.

"Hunter!" she moaned as her climax crashed into her like a riptide.

She gasped for air just before the undertow dragged her down, out of his arms, and into the ocean, covering her with salt and cold and panic. She struggled against it as she fought her way to the surface, desperate for her next breath.

She was nearly there when something stopped her. It was as if a glass wall held her beneath the waves. She kicked, frantically maneuvering to escape, only to find herself completely boxed in: encased and submerged.

Caitlin threw strike after strike to no avail, and with the very last of her breath, she screamed, unleashing nothing but a flurry of bubbles. 

* * *

Caitlin snapped awake, clawing at the blankets and reeling in confusion. She had just enough awareness to stumble out of bed, down the hall, and into the bathroom, where she nearly fell to the floor as she wretched over the toilet.

Her throat burned as a horrible taste filled her mouth, her stomach churning furiously and bringing up nothing but bile.

She collapsed. Now she was awkwardly splayed across the cold tile floor, reality returning slowly.

She was in a medical gown, light and loose over her skin, but she couldn't remember putting it on. The last thing she recalled was overlooking a wreck of a building as blue lightning streaked in the morning light. She had been wearing the Bellatrix suit - _her_ suit.

No, that wasn't right. She had been called away. Blink had taken her to Totem because... because...

A wave of nausea overcame her as the images flashed through her mind: Hunter's injury; his pale, vacant body; and his blood... his blood _everywhere_ , but most especially on her hands.

Caitlin pulled her knees to her chest as she fought the sob rising in her throat. Her memory collided with her last dream - the waterfall red with blood and his warm embrace as cold as a corpse - jumbling together into a kaleidoscope of pain and passion.

The lurid images of her unconscious mind were entirely unnecessary. She already knew that Hunter had dragged her down and now the weight of him was crushing her, holding her under. She was trapped.

And there was no going back. Not to Earth-1 and not to who she used to be, assuming she survived that long.

 _You've made it this far. Don't give up._

She wanted to laugh, but it caught somewhere in her chest. She didn't know how she'd gotten back to the Comet - Blink, probably - but it was only a matter of time before the MTU or some revenge-driven metahuman came calling. Hunter was - had been - the only one on Earth-2 who cared if she lived or died. With him gone, she was truly alone.

The soft padding of paws on tile drew her attention. A gray fox stood a few feet away, staring at her with... concern.

 _Must be one of Totem's familiars._

"I'm fine," she said, assuming Totem could hear her. "Fine."

It took everything she had to pick herself up off the floor. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands before driving the horrible taste from her mouth with her toothbrush. After she splashed cool water on her face, she caught sight of a figure in the mirror. Someone was standing behind her in the bathroom doorway.

 _It can't be._

Caitlin whipped around, certain that the man she saw couldn't be there.

"Ronnie?"

No, he was dead. Not just her Ronnie, but Deathstorm, too. So how was he here? She wondered if she had died in that forest, and all of this just echoes of her dwindling mind, complete with the ultimate wish fulfillment: reuniting with her husband.

But then she noticed that Ronnie was holding RJ on his hip. Their matching eyes stared at her, as if to say, _"Come with us."_ So when Ronnie turned and walked away, she followed without hesitation.

 _Does this mean that Hunter is alone?_

The question came unbidden and abrupt, and she stumbled in both her footing and resolve. He was dead because of her, because she failed to save him. She wondered if maybe he was waiting for her... wherever it was she was headed. Her thoughts churned and writhed, threatening to throw her into an eternal stasis of _what-ifs_.

She couldn't stop now.

Ronnie's long stride and quick step had already put considerable distance between them. She managed to climb out of her own head just in time to see him disappear into her room.

She scrambled after him, crossing the threshold mere moments later, panicked and thrilled at the same time.

The sheets were as she'd left them, carelessly thrown to one side of the bed, where RJ sat, his eyes sleepy and wide as he sucked on his fingers. She spun on her heel, scouring the room, but she and RJ were the only ones there.

She sat on the bed and wrapped RJ in her arms, desperate to feel something real. His weight and warmth grounded her and eased her breathing, yet she couldn't help but wonder if he, too, was a figment of her imagination.

"It's okay," she said, more to herself than RJ. "It's going to be okay."

She dragged the crib so it was right next to her bed before she placed RJ inside. As soon as his head touched his tiny pillow, he fell asleep, and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

"It's going to be okay," she repeated.

She almost meant it that time. Almost.

"You're awake."

Caitlin didn't look away from RJ. She recognized Totem's voice, but she wasn't ready to respond. She wasn't ready to accept that she was alive and awake, that some part of this was _real_.

"Bellatrix?" Totem asked. "You collapsed. Do you remember?"

Caitlin nodded her head, yes.

"It is good to see you on your feet," she said. "But you should rest. At least until morning."

Caitlin didn't think she could go back to sleep. She was afraid that lying down would send her mind into overdrive, obsessing over what the morning would bring. Or worse, she might fall asleep and dream.

 _I'm losing my mind._

"No," Totem said firmly.

It took a moment to realize that Totem was responding to her thoughts. She finally looked at the other woman, somewhere between furious and relieved.

"I apologize," Totem continued. "I had not expected you to wake until morning. Ghost came to check on the boy before I knew."

Caitlin digested the words, her comprehension slowed from her jarring awakening. Then she remembered that Totem had mentioned that the children in the Comet had two caretakers: Cloak and Ghost.

"Ghost?" she repeated.

"You cannot look upon her face," Totem said, as if that explained anything.

"So, when I saw him... it wasn't him, just a meta's powers?"

Suddenly, a faceless metahuman using Ronnie's image as a stealth mechanism felt infinitely worse than losing her mind. It was an insult to his memory.

"Ghost cannot control who or what you see," Totem explained. "Apart from myself, the only ones immune to her affliction are children."

The word _affliction_ was like a dagger, cutting through her emotions with a searing edge, leaving nothing but sadness in its wake. Exhaustion soon followed.

"I know you are tired," Totem continued. "But I must ask that you tell no one of this. Please. She does not deserve to be punished for my mistake."

Caitlin didn't understand why Totem was so anxious for her silence on the subject.

"Don't worry," she replied. "There's no one left to tell."

Something flashed behind Totem's eyes, and somehow, Caitlin knew that it was about Hunter. But that didn't make any sense.

"He lives," was all Totem said.

"He lives?" Caitlin repeated, unable to believe it.

"He lives."

Pure unrelenting relief swept over her. She hadn't failed him. She'd saved him. Hunter was alive. She wasn't alone.

 _Zoom lives. Because of **you**._

The thought was more accusatory than congratulatory, but she didn't care. She didn't care that a part of her hated herself for being happy that he was alive, and she certainly didn't care that she was being torn in two by the conflict.

He was alive. There was still time.

"You must rest, Bellatrix," Totem said.

Caitlin climbed into bed rather than replying. She doubted she would sleep right up until she closed her eyes. 

* * *

Hunter returned to the house after midnight, stiff and drained from the day's battle. It had taken twelve hours to execute burn site protocol, and he had wasted another four recuperating in one of his old hideaways, fuming over the fact that his healing had slowed to such a degree. He wanted to check up on Caitlin, but he couldn't risk the trip with his injuries, so he sustained himself with the unbearably terse status reports from the Comet.

After hours with little more than confirmation that she was still breathing, he was desperate to see her face, to know irrefutably that she was alive and well. It took every shred of his will to step lightly up the stairs when every molecule of his being demanded that he race to her side.

And there she was, bathed in moonlight. She was beautiful like this, completely relaxed with her hair spread across the pillow. He could easily stand here and watch her like this for hours on end.

He had been so consumed with seeing her that he hadn't registered the crib alongside her bed, so close that it trapped some of her sheets. He hadn't forgotten about the boy, but he hadn't thought about him since he ordered Totem to make arrangements, either.

He tried to remind himself that this boy was likely no more than a patient, but there had been hundreds of children at the MTU facility. What set this boy apart from the dozens of other captives his age?

Hunter could stand in the doorway and watch her sleep all night. It would've been a welcome reprieve from the events of the last two days, but he couldn't afford such a luxury, not yet. The MTU would soon regroup, and he wouldn't let The Cause be unprepared for their next strike.

And he needed to identify this boy. Just in case.

Resolved to his next steps, he walked over to the far side of Caitlin's bed, leaned over, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well," he whispered.

Then he left her room and descended into the basement, donning his Zoom suit before proceeding into the chaos he knew awaited him in the Comet. 

* * *

Caitlin awoke to the sound of RJ crying. People always said that a mother knew her child's need by the sound of the cry, but for the life of her, she couldn't tell. Probably because - DNA not withstanding - she wasn't really his mother.

She took him to the bathroom and changed him, and the crying stopped. Then she put him back in his crib so she could shower.

She took longer than necessary under the water, trying to shake the stiffness from her limbs. She kept wondering if the conversation she'd had with Totem was real or part of a very bizarre dream.

She was relieved that he was alive, and she hated herself for it. She drudged up every one of his sins: pretending to be a hero, kidnapping Jesse, breaking Barry's back and stealing his speed. But no matter how many horrible things she thought about him, her righteous anger evaporated with the memory of him broken and empty on that surgical table.

She was too tired to be angry with him and too emotionally exhausted to hate herself. So, as she dried off, she made a mental list of all the patients she wanted to see.

She wasn't ready to face the day, but she tied her still-wet hair into a ponytail and carried RJ downstairs for breakfast anyway.

She should've expected him, but nevertheless, she stumbled when she saw Hunter waiting for her downstairs in a dark green t-shirt and jeans. The table was already set, including a new highchair.

"Caitlin," he said as he got to his feet. "Good morning."

It was so mundane - so painfully normal - that she wasn't sure how to act.

"Hi," she replied lamely.

"Here, let me take him," he said as he reached out.

She stepped back and clutched RJ to her chest, her first instinct to keep him in her arms. Hunter stopped dead in his tracks, his arms dropping, clearly stung by her unwillingness to hand him over.

"I thought you might be hungry. Both of you," he said, the tremor in his voice betraying his calm demeanor. "I... I would never hurt him, Caitlin."

"Oh, no, it's not..." she said, fumbling as if her tongue had swollen to twice its size. Luckily, she didn't have to think hard to explain herself. "It's just - your arm. The cast should still be on. Isn't it - "

"It's fine," he said, interrupting her as he stepped in close and put his hands on her shoulders. He seemed pleased with her answer. "I'm fine. Thanks to you. I thought breakfast was the least I could do."

Even though she was reluctant to let him go, she held him out. Hunter wouldn't harm him.

 _That's just what you want to believe._

Hunter took RJ to the highchair, which had cheerios and yogurt set out on its tray. She helped herself to pancakes and eggs, and he followed suit.

She did her best to ignore the image of a nuclear family sharing a meal. This wasn't real. It was just a passing mirage.

"I know that what you saw yesterday was... difficult," he began. "But there's more. It would be easier to show you."

"Show me? What about all the injured?" she asked.

"The Comet isn't expecting you," he replied. "You passed out the other day."

"Only because I hadn't eaten," she replied, more defensively than she intended. Then she added, "It's just - I'm needed here."

"You'll always be needed here."

Her mouth went dry, his sincerity as unexpected as his even temper. Everything about him this morning had her off-guard.

 _Only because you thought he was dead._

"Then tonight," he said.

She couldn't think of anything to say other than, "Okay, tonight."

 _He's manipulating you._

"And what about him?" he said, indicating RJ.

"RJ," she said automatically.

"He needs a nickname."

"He's not a meta."

"You don't know that," he said. "And even if he's not, everyone has an alias in the Comet."

She stared at RJ, unsure of what nickname might suit him. She could use another name from _Harry Potter_ , but none of them seemed right. She considered his parents's aliases, Deathstorm and Killer Frost.

"Frostbite," she said, saying the first name that felt right.

"Frostbite," he repeated. "Much better than Killer Frost Junior."

She started at his offhanded comment, but she shouldn't have been surprised. He probably went looking for RJ's identity as soon as he heard that she demanded to keep him at her side.

"Did you know that Deathstorm and Frost had a son?" she asked pointedly.

"I knew they had a secret," he replied. "They were far too powerful to be kept under Reverb's thumb for so long. I assumed he had leverage."

"You mean, keeping it secret from you?"

"Probably," he replied. "Little did they know, they had far more to fear from Reverb. I don't hurt children. Reverb, on the other hand..."

"So you didn't know that Deathstorm was a father when you killed him?"

She hadn't meant to ask that, and she regretted it immediately. But part of her - the part that kept reminding her that Hunter was monster that could never be redeemed - needed to know, even though Deathstorm wasn't _her_ Ronnie.

Caitlin anticipated a raised voice and a grimace, but instead, all she saw was pained resignation, as if he had hoped for better but expected a response exactly like this.

"No," he said. "Even if I had known, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"How can you say that?" she asked. "You said you don't hurt children. What do you think happens when you take their parents away from them?"

"Would you have preferred I let him kill Barry?" Hunter asked, an edge to his question that was somehow worse than his usual anger.

She didn't have anything to say to that.

Thankfully, Hunter took that moment to rise from his seat and take his plate to the sink, even though he hadn't eaten much.

As he walked back, he stopped next to her chair and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Tonight," he said. "I'll be back at seven."

She nodded her head, yes, and he continued out the front door.

She turned to RJ, who was too happily playing with his food to be bothered with the incredibly odd conversation that just transpired.

* * *

Half an hour later, Caitlin carried RJ downstairs, his cheeks slightly pink from her scrubbing. She hadn't realized how difficult it was to wipe yogurt off a two-year-old.

She had expected to find the corridors brimming with people, but the top floor was empty and eerily silent. She walked into the room that served as her office, and no sooner had she arrived than a gray-and-white streak bolted out. She caught enough of a glimpse to recognize the fox from the night previous.

She settled RJ into the new playpen by her desk. She hadn't had time to consider what it would mean to take care of him, let alone what she'd need to do it. She was lucky that Totem had things in order.

She felt a twinge of guilt. Totem had been with her in the field and at the Comet, yet she had somehow not only anticipated her new needs but also arranged for the appropriate supplies. Surely she - and, frankly, everyone else - had better things to do in the aftermath of a siege.

But she was very grateful that she could have RJ within arm's reach.

She opened the rolodex on the computer. There were hundreds of new patients, though, thankfully, most were admitted for injuries like minor burns, broken bones, and lacerations. Even those without meta-healing would likely make a full recovery.

There were a dozen critical patients. Half had been brought in with gunshot wounds, and the rest had catastrophic injuries: extensive burns, severed limbs, and even one listed as near-decapitation.

She was so caught up in the admission summaries that she hadn't noticed the names. She jolted when she saw that both Colonel Cold and Heat Wave had severe burns and severed limbs. She was about to pull up their full medical charts when another alias caught her eye: Killer Frost.

Her doppelganger had been brought in after surviving multiple gunshot wounds and a lengthy field surgery to remove the bullets.

Caitlin typed frantically, trying to pull up any other details, but the digital medical chart hadn't been updated since her arrival over twelve hours ago. All she could find was that she was in Unit C on the second floor.

Caitlin scooped up RJ and went to the elevator.

The second floor was teaming with people, all too busy to notice her ducking into Unit C.

Frost was barely conscious, but her bed was set to support her in a semi-upright sitting position. Her normally-blue skin was white as marble, and, if the machine read-outs were correct, her vitals were alarmingly weak.

Caitlin grabbed her medical chart. It appeared more detailed than its digital counterpart, but she couldn't tell because she only had one hand free with RJ on her hip. Unable to flip through it, she scoured the top page, hoping she'd find something to explain Frost's condition. She had been admitted hours ago. So why wasn't she healing?

 _She's not metahuman._

Somehow, Frost had obtained powers without the expression of an active meta-gene, which meant she couldn't assume that any of her knowledge about metahumans applied here. It was possible that Frost didn't possess any kind of accelerated healing.

 _Or that something the MTU used on her suppressed whatever regenerative powers she does have._

Her stomach tightened as she recalled Scrap's screams, Lullaby's terrified eyes, Grodd's separated-yet-still-living head, her - no, Frost's - mother, half-frozen. Her hand tightened against the chart as her mind wandered down a dark path, wondering what the MTU had had in store for RJ.

What they could have already done to him.

"Get out."

The words were hoarse and harsh but also so quiet that Caitlin wondered if she imagined them. Frost looked no more lucid now than she had a few minutes ago.

"GET. OUT!"

Her lips barely moved, but there was no doubt it was Killer Frost speaking. Clearly, she didn't want visitors right now.

"When you're better, we'll be back," Caitlin said.

She returned the chart and left for her office.

With all the new staff on hand, she didn't know who to ask to make a copy of Frost's chart, and she couldn't just take it, not without risking Frost's care.

As she placed RJ back in his playpen, she thought, _Would it really be so bad if she didn't get better?_

She bit her tongue. Whatever crimes Frost was guilty of, she didn't deserve to die. Even if she did, RJ didn't. He had lost too many family members already.

"Bellatrix," Totem said from the doorway.

"Thank you," she blurted, remembering the guilt. "For... everything."

"You should not be working," Totem said bluntly.

"I - what?" Caitlin replied, fumbling at the unexpected response.

"You are still under Doctor Midnight's care," Totem explained. "You were relocated to your room after being successfully rehydrated, but you were not discharged."

"I'm fine," she replied. "You must need help here. After yesterday - "

"All patients have assigned medical care," Totem interrupted.

"Did Zoom put you up to this?"

"No," she replied. "A number of tests were ordered for you and are still being processed in the lab. You cannot be cleared to treat patients until those results verify your health."

"Totem, I - I can't go back upstairs and do nothing," she said.

"Then wake my son up," Blink said as she joined them.

Blink Junior had been scheduled to come out of his induced coma, but a stable patient like him wouldn't be a priority. Not with so twelve critical admissions on top of hundreds of minor cases flooding the same facility.

"I'd have to review his latest scans," Caitlin said to Blink. "To make sure he's ready."

"He is," Blink said. "I can feel it."

It was clear Totem didn't approve of this idea, and Caitlin wondered if her wariness came from having seen or sensed something.

Before she could ask, Totem spoke, an unusual edge to her voice, "I recommend that you take Frostbite upstairs and rest. If you will not, I must ask that you remain on the top floor and treat only Blink Junior."

Caitlin considered protesting but put it out of her mind. Even without patients, she still had a tremendous amount of Earth-2 medical research to read. She also could use the computer to find out how her other patients from the siege were doing.

 _Maybe it's not such a bad idea to take it easy._

"Okay," Caitlin said. "I'll treat Blink Junior."

"Hubris!" Totem shouted.

The silver fox raced into the room, sliding on its paws as it came to a halt beside RJ's playpen. It - no, _he_ \- looked up at her with wide, eager eyes.

"Be careful, Bellatrix," Totem warned before sweeping out of the room, leaving Hurbix the fox to watch over her. 

* * *

After a tremendous amount of squabbling, Blink agreed to wait outside in the hallway with RJ as Caitlin brought Blink Junior out of his induced coma.

Hubris the fox eyed Scout the macaw as she worked, reducing Junior's intravenous medications to bring him out of the coma as gently as possible.

She had calculated the values carefully, taking his meta-healing into account, yet the boy snapped into consciousness as if she'd yanked him out violently.

It was clear from the look on his face that his vision remained compromised. She did her best to talk him through it, but he was too terrified to really hear her.

 _He's probably terrified of doctors after what the MTU did to him._

So she invited his mother into the room. Between his familiar and his positive response to his mother's presence, Caitlin decided it was safe to give them some space. They'd been apart long enough.

She spent the rest of the day in her office with RJ and Hubris, checking in on Junior and Blink at regular intervals, the hours slipping by quickly, probably because she was spending more time entertaining RJ than reading.

Then, at four in the afternoon, the computer came through with updated charts, including her own. Apparently, she was cleared to treat patients starting tomorrow afternoon.

She tried to pull up the lab results, but for some reason, they wouldn't load.

Caitlin didn't have trouble bringing up anybody else's files. She found that... suspicious.

 _Totem must be hiding something from you._

If something was being hidden from her, Zoom was the true culprit.

She really didn't like that possibility, so much so that when she checked in on Junior again, she asked Blink to obtain a paper copy of her lab results. To her surprise, the teleporter vanished immediately, returning less than a minute later empty-handed.

"Sorry, couldn't find it," Blink said. She put her hand on Caitlin's shoulder and added, "You ever need anything, Bellatrix, just ask."

She was disappointed until she realized Blink had slipped a note into her pocket. It read, "Upstairs bathroom between the towels. Don't let the fox see."

It seemed unnecessarily stealthy to hide it like that.

 _Unless Zoom gave the order._

So she went to her room and settled RJ into his crib before going to the bathroom, where, like Blink predicted, Hubris wouldn't follow her.

Still, she couldn't help but feel silly about all this. While Hunter could be concealing any number of things from her, what possible reason could he have to keep her lab results from her?

It was easy enough to spot. Blink hadn't just taken her lab results; she had stolen her entire medical file.

Caitlin riffled through to the most recent lab results. She had obviously been very dehydrated, given the electrolyte imbalance. Other than that, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, except that her estrogen levels were off the charts.

Her eyes stopped at the bottom of the page, her mind and heart faltering at the result.

 _It's a false positive._

She flipped to the next page of blood results. They were the same tests, run earlier in the day.

 _No, it can't be. It's not possible._

The next page was likewise a repeat test, done the day previous. There was a fourth from yesterday morning, likely run when she was first brought in.

Four tests. Four. It would be unlikely that one would be a false positive. It was impossible for all four to be incorrect.

She stared at page, hoping it would sink in and start making sense, but all that did was sear the words into her mind: "Pregnancy: POSITIVE."

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, the _Keeper of the Months_ , is from an epithet for Átse Ats'oosí, the Navajo name for the constellation Orion, which translates as 'First Slender One' or 'First Slim One.' Átse Ats'oosí always appears before the constellation Dilyéhé (the Planters), leading them safely through the night sky, making him a symbol of protection. He is called the Keeper of the Months because the calendar was built upon the movement of the stars, and it is the duty of Átse Ats'oosí to ensure that every star appears in its proper place and season, protecting the calendar that marks the months of the year.

 **Author's note** : I hope you've installed this latest installment. Hopefully the next chapter (entitled "The Saucepan") will be ready in about three weeks.


	11. The Saucepan

**Spoilers** : _Orion_ references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 _Invincible_ , all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

 **Warning** : _Orion_ contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating.

 **Chapter Summary** : Caitlin struggles with her latest revelation, which is made twice as hard by Hunter's plans.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**  
 **The Saucepan  
**

* * *

Caitlin felt a storm churning within, a wild throb of raw emotions - fear, confusion, and denial foremost among them - that threatened to tear her apart.

She couldn't be pregnant. She _couldn't_. She had been so careful about birth control.

Her mind raced with all the Earth-2 medical research she'd consumed. There was ample evidence suggesting that the robustness of metahealing was reflected in the reproductive system. That, and most metas had incredible metabolic variations that rendered the recommended dosages for most drugs obsolete, including hormone therapy.

But she wasn't metahuman. She didn't even have the meta-gene. None of that applied to her.

 _But it does apply to **him**._

She wanted to scream. Leave it to her to fall in love with a manipulative villain with super-sperm.

No. Even if she _had_ gotten pregnant back on Earth-1, she had nearly died of hypothermia in Zoom's mountain lair. There was no way a fetus could remain viable after that; she would've miscarried.

 _Unless the baby is metahuman._

No, no, _no_. That wasn't how fetal development worked. Gene possession and gene expression were two different things. Both Barry and Cisco were born with the meta-gene, but neither became metahuman until the explosion at STAR Labs. Even then, the activation didn't translate to meta-abilities immediately. Barry spent months in a coma while his meta-healing gradually developed, and Cisco's powers didn't manifest for over a year.

There was no evidence to suggest that potential metahuman possessed meta-powers or meta-healing before the gene was activated. She had no reason to think that her baby had abilities in the womb.

Caitlin swallowed hard to clear the lump in her throat. She didn't want to accept that she was pregnant with Hunter's child, but as the endless torrent of thoughts washed over her, one thing crystalized for her: this was _her_ baby - impossibly alive and _hers_.

She focused on her breathing, ignoring the fact that she as awkwardly splayed on the bathroom floor. With every inhalation, her mind discarded the denial and the confusion, and every exhalation, she release a small fraction of her anger.

Because, above all else, she was angry. Furious. Resentful. Her Earth-2 doppelganger was a literal ice queen and serial killer - or at the very least a murderer - yet, somehow, the multiverse gifted Killer Frost a child. And not just any child - _Ronnie's_ son.

Cailtin was a doctor. She had fought all her life to do the right thing, doing everything in her power to be a good person. She had sacrificed for the greater good, hadn't she? So why was it that her murderous counterpart had _her_ reward - a child with the man she loved - while Caitlin's baby had Zoom for a father?

That wasn't right. None of this was right. She deserved better than this, and so did her baby.

The fury inside her filled her veins like magma threatening to erupt, and she held that fire in her chest, basking in the power it gave her as she rose to her feet.

By the time she was standing, her rage had distilled into a palpable wrath, cultivated for a singular purpose: to protect her child.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and she was shocked to see that there was no outward indication of her turmoil. Instead, there was a chilling - nigh unnatural - calm to her features.

It was a familiar look for her. Caitlin was staring into the same face she'd worn for months after Ronnie had died - both times. She had likewise donned this facade when Jay "died."

 _You can do this. You've done it before._

That's right. She knew how to do _this_. She knew how soldier on, no matter how devastating the blow.

Her lips upturned slightly when she realized that she and Frost shared at least one trait: When things went badly, they both ran cold.

* * *

Hunter inspected his reflection, scrutinizing everything from his blue jeans to his semi-casual shirt. He had spent years snuffing out any part of himself that cared what other people thought of him, and now he was having difficultly reversing the effects.

He pulled on his leather jacket - the one Caitlin had gifted him on their three-month anniversary - and he revealed in the ego boost it provided.

He tried to imagine what she would think of him dressed like this. She'd rarely commented on clothing one way or another, which made guessing impossible.

As a person who prided himself on planning ahead and knowing everybody else's next moves before they did, he deeply disliked his current situation.

 _You look fine. You're just nervous._

Yes, that was it. He just needed -

 _Because you know that she knows you're a monster._

The intruding thought stung, and he reeled away from the mirror, hating that a handful of words had the power to hurt him.

No... Caitlin could've refused to operate, let him die on the operating table, or even killed him in his weakened state. Yet here he stood, alive and well, _because of her._ Whether or not she thought he was a monster, she saved his life.

 _Caitlin might side with The Cause but that doesn't mean she'll ever trust you._

Hunter felt a chill run down his spine.

 _She'll never love you._

Caitlin would help The Cause; of that, he had no doubts. Now that she knew the atrocities of the so-called governments of Earth-2, she couldn't side with them or their law enforcement agencies. He had gone to great lengths to ensure that her experiences during the siege guaranteed her allegiance.

But that didn't mean she would be with him. She could fight by his side and pull him back from the edge of death a thousand times over, all the while spurning him.

 _Of course, she'll reject you. You wounded her family and abducted her._

Panic surged. Despite all the terrible things he'd endured, he couldn't imagine surviving a future filled with Caitlin's rejection. He needed her in a way he'd never needed anybody else in his life.

He turned back to the mirror, fearing he might lose his temper and shatter the fragile surface. And when he peered into his own eyes, something else slithered across his mind.

 _She'll never forgive you, no matter what lies you tell her._

Normally, such an idea would throw him into the rage and send him running for relief, but this time, it made him smile.

It's true. There were no lies he could tell her that would convince her to forgive him. The only way to earn her forgiveness was with the truth.

Well, most of it, anyway.

 _Liar._

Hunter had planned on giving Caitlin something of a history lesson of Earth-2, lest she believe that the MTU rose to root out criminal metahumans. No, the MTU was just the latest name for those seeking to exploit, dominate, and destroy powered individuals.

Yes, that was important for her to know, but anyone could tell her about that part of Earth-2's past. He, on the other hand, was the only one who could explain Zoom and Jay Garrick. No one else knew.

 _Someone else knows._

But not someone who would ever the chance to tell Caitlin. Not someone who could ever _show_ her everything.

The voice in his head went silent, and Hunter felt a surge of something unfamiliar.

That made his decision quite simple.

With that, the bathroom filled with blue sparks before he raced back to The Comet.

* * *

Caitlin had returned to her room and dressed in fresh clothing, selecting the most conservative articles available. She ended up in a pair of slightly baggy black jeans and a blue, long-sleeved turtleneck.

She ate a granola bar as she looked over her outfit. It covered nearly every inch of her skin. Yet it was also incredibly flattering, no doubt because Hunter had procured her entire wardrobe. She missed her own clothing and her closet back on Earth-1.

She grabbed the last granola bar out of her bedside table. Less than an hour ago, there had been four, and she had only planned to eat one or two. But she hadn't eaten dinner, she reasoned, so she made quick work of her last snack.

She loathed the idea of asking Hunter for anything, but now was the time. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew she was pregnant. If the four blood tests weren't an indication, then his behavior at breakfast certainly was. He had been trying to paint himself as a father: having the meal prepared, handling RJ, insisting on a nickname to protect his identity...

It was a well-played manipulation, but he should've known that she'd see it for what it was as soon as she discovered she was pregnant. Maybe he assumed she wouldn't care or that it didn't matter if she cared, one way or another.

She would make him pay for it, for everything.

Caitlin put the thought out of her mind as she checked on RJ, who was fast asleep in his crib. She watched him for a few minutes, wondering if this was how her baby would look.

 _No, RJ looks just like his father._

That dredged something up inside her; something ugly with claws, fangs, and melodious breath. It nearly cracked her cool veneer.

Yes, Hunter had to know she was pregnant, but he didn't know that she knew. Not yet. Which made now the perfect time to make demands. If she could convince him to collect her clothing from Earth-1, then he'd have to traverse a portal, and she knew that Cisco would be monitoring for that. She could get a message through, maybe even make contact with her friends.

But she couldn't ask him outright for what she wanted. She needed to make him think it was his idea.

 _He's been manipulating you for your entire relationship. It's high time you return the favor._

A plan quickly formulated in her mind. She wondered if she had always been adept with such maneuvers or if she had learned from Hunter.

Knock, knock.

Caitlin's head turned from the crib to the doorway. Hunter stood, staring at her as he waited. She bit back the bitter words threatening to spill out of her and tried to conjure a smile.

She failed.

"Are you all right, Cailtin?" he asked.

"I - uh," she said. "I just... miss my clothing."

"You have clothing."

"It's not mine."

"It's for you, of course it's yours," he replied.

"It's not _mine_ ," she repeated. "Never mind, it's not important."

"If it's bothering you, then it _is_ important."

"You said you wanted to show me something?" she asked, changing the subject.

He paused for a moment, his expression oscillating between stubbornness and concern before finally shifting to determination.

"Totem made arrangements for Frostbite," he began.

 _Ever the manipulator._

"Blink is waiting downstairs for us," he continued. "You'll need a coat. It's cold where we're going."

She plucked a gray overcoat from the closet and pulled it over her shoulders, happy to have another layer between her and Hunter's prying eyes.

He led the way downstairs. She thought they would stop in the kitchen or living room, but they continued into the basement. In a flash of blue, Hunter donned his Zoom suit and waved her into the elevator.

The ride to the first floor of the Comet had never felt so long.

As soon as the doors opened, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and the world dissolved around her.

 _"Return to the Comet and wait for my call,"_ Zoom ordered.

Blink nodded curtly before she vanished into the night sky.

A chilling wind drove her to flip up the collar of her coat as she took in her surroundings. They were halfway up a mountain, though it was too dark for her to be certain.

Hunter's arm came up and around her shoulder, protecting her from the worst of the wind. She wanted to shove him away, but the cold cut down to the bone.

Before she could ask what they were doing in the middle of nowhere, her feet left the ground, and the scenery turned into a blur of blue lightning.

Hunter put her down inside a warm, dark cavern with an oddly crafted interior. It was as if somebody had built a log cabin inside a cave. It reminded her of the first place he held her captive on Earth-2.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"A hideaway no one knows about," he replied as he yanked his cowl off.

"And we're here because...?"

"Because you asked me why I brought you here," he explained.

"You told me I wasn't _safe_ ," she said, unable to conceal the scorn in her voice.

"You weren't, not on Earth-1," he said. "But you obviously didn't believe it - "

"Don't believe it," she corrected him. "I _don't_ believe that you brought me here because I wasn't safe on Earth-1."

Anger briefly flashed across his features, but it quickly dissipated.

"I deserved that," he commented.

He seemed calm, but she could hear the edge in his voice.

"And it's true, I hadn't planned on bringing you here. Not yet," he continued.

"Not yet?" she repeated. "What does that mean?"

"I was supposed to wait," he said. "But, the things you said to me... the way you talked to me... I couldn't wait any longer. I couldn't leave you there."

What was he talking about? Did he really think waiting a month was a long time? That was, after all, how long Jay had been 'dead.' The strain in his voice made it sound like it had been a lifetime.

He walked over to a large metal door and phased his hand through a metal panel.

"A lock only a Speedster can open it," he explained.

The door opened when with a heavy clank, revealing a dimly lit room with a high ceiling.

She hesitated. The anger brewing from earlier in the evening made her feel strong, but it also made her impulsive. The urge to lash out grew stronger by the minute, and she needed to keep it in check, at least for now. Whatever Hunter was about to show her, it was either a half-truth or a manipulation, and she couldn't risk cutting him short, not when it might provide insight on his plots.

So before she stepped inside, she promised herself that she would let this play out. It was the only way she could ferret out whatever scraps of truth existed in this room.

He stepped in right behind her and waved a hand, causing the lights to brighten ever so slightly. It was enough to reveal that the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with clippings, photos, and handwritten notes. Only about a dozen were clear and large enough to read, and they all shared a common topic: Caitlin Snow.

Of course, the news articles featured photos of her doppelganger, though one particularly disturbing article had both Snows pictured under the headline FROST FOUND DEAD WITH KILLER TWIST. It stated that the body of Killer Frost was discovered on the roof of STAR Labs. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma, but the author speculated that Frost died in an attempt to cure herself of "the meta-human disease." The photos served as a kind of evidence - before and after shots for "the cure."

It was dated October 2018.

Another article reported the last two bodies recovered from deep below the rubble of a leveled skyscraper had been identified as Killer Frost and Joe West. A second clipping was immediately beneath it: a statement of retraction, dated two days later, claiming that the bodies had been misidentified. Both were from January 2019.

There were a cluster of other articles about the capture and imprisonment of Killer Frost, dated February 2019. All of them openly discussed the fact that she was being tortured for information - and for her crimes. Her public execution occurred in November 2019 by electric chair, but the woman in the photograph wasn't Killer Frost.

"These are all from at least two years in the future," she pointed out. "Different universes?"

"No, they're all from Earth-2," he said. "The bylines... same journalists, writing for the same outlets. Different timelines."

 _Couldn't he come up with anything better than fake news clippings from 'the future'?_

"You expect me to believe that all of these are real?" she asked.

"They are real, Caitlin," he replied softly.

"They're just pieces of paper," she said, unable to hold back.

Without warning, he closed in on her. Blue lightning rippled across his body, but that was nothing compared to the energy radiating off of him, a potent combination of anger and pain. Despite the wrathful fuel bubbling beneath her skin, as he crowded her space, she backed up until she hit a wall. It was only when his face was inches from hers that she noticed the panic, desperation, and bitterness hidden under his fury.

"Maybe they're pieces of paper to you," he whispered. "But not to me."

He backed away, but if anything, the tension increased.

"Each time, you were _safe_ on Earth-1," he said. "Until the moment that you weren't."

"If that's true, then how did I die on Earth-2?"

He waved at the article about her body being found under a fallen skyscraper. "You were pulled through an unstable portal while attempting to save Joe West from a gunshot wound. You could've escaped and survived, but you refused to leave him to die alone."

He pointed to her body being found on the roof of STAR Labs. "The MTU was hunting metas, specifically the handful that escaped to Earth-1. They didn't care about collateral damage. Their troops dragged you through the portal, and when you resisted, they caved your skull in to prove a point."

"And this," he continued, pointing at the pages that detailed Killer Frost's imprisonment and torture. "You came to Earth-2 with Wells for some reason, and the MTU captured you, thinking you were Frost in disguise."

"That says I was in prison for months," she said. "If that had happened, someone would've come for me - Barry, Cisco, Wells - "

"Wells?" he cut her off. "Wells left you to die. He knew where you were and what they were doing to you, and he did nothing!"

"I don't believe that!"

"He had the chance to tell me," he said. "I let him live. He'd done what I needed him to do. I told him as much. He had plenty of opportunities to tell me the MTU captured you, not Frost, and he didn't. He left you to die."

"Maybe he thought it was better!" she shot back. "Maybe he thought leaving me at your mercy was worse than death!"

His face contorted into a hideous snarl, and for a moment, she thought he might lash out at her physically. But then he whipped away from her as he unleashed a scream.

When he turned back to her, his hands were in his hair, smoothing it down till they reached his neck.

"What do I have to do to convince you?" he asked.

It was almost a plea, like he was begging. _Almost_.

"You have no reason to trust me," he continued. "I understand that, but I swear to you, I don't have any reason to lie to you. Not anymore. I only brought you here this time because I couldn't watch you die again. Caitlin, I love you - "

"Don't," she interrupted.

For the briefest moment, she considered the possibility that he was telling her the truth, or part of it, at least. Maybe he had been to the future - or several futures - and seen her die in each one.

Or maybe he hadn't seen her die. Maybe he'd discovered something in the future, something she had kept from him for as long as possible.

 _That's how he knows about the baby._

A deluge of thoughts hit her. Did he suffer delusions of fatherly affection? Did he think he deserved to be part of her child's life?

 _Or did he find out your child will become a Speedster._

She shuttered at the thought, yet it was the only thing that made sense. Zoom had to be the fastest man alive, and anybody who threatened that title - even his own child - had to be eliminated. Assuming he let it get that far... he could just as easily cultivate the SpeedForce and steal it for himself, like he did with Barry.

Caitlin struggled to maintain her composure with her mind reeling.

"Don't," she said finally, her voice shaking.

That pissed her off. She wasn't crying, she was furious, yet it sounded as if she was bawling her eyes out.

"You don't get to say that," she said. "You don't get to say those words."

"Caitlin, I - "

"No!" she shouted. "You thrust a hand through your own chest and pulled yourself through a portal. And you made me watch! You made me watch you die! So you don't get to say that to me! And you don't get to complain about watching _me_ die!"

Silence followed her words, and her mind seized upon the opportunity to fill her head with worst-case scenarios. A cascade of horrible possibilities drowned out everything around her. Everything from using her to control her child to these stories being the truth - that he was trying to 'save' her in his own, sick way, and trapped her in this hell to do it.

She closed her eyes and put her hands to over ears, though there was no point to it. Her thoughts were so loud that they blotted out the entire world.

Yet his voice somehow got through to her.

"Caitlin?" he said gently. "Caitlin?"

She opened her eyes and saw how close he'd gotten to her. He put his palm on her cheek, and for some reason, she leaned into it, desperate for comfort, even from all the wrong places.

His eyes softened, and then his lips came down over hers, supple and feather light, delivering a kiss so tender that it begged to continue. She was swept up that she returned the kiss in equal measure.

And a flood of memories came with the kiss: standing under the mistletoe with nervous anticipation, comforting him as he told her about his confrontations with Zoom, holding him after his nightmares.

She pulled away and slapped him hard enough to bruise.

"You're angry," he said, unfazed. "But that doesn't change the fact that I love you."

"You told me your mother used to take you the train," she began. "That's why, whenever you needed to clear your head, you'd take a train. And what about your nightmares? The ones about Zoom stealing me from you? Me disappearing in a blur of blue lightning? All the times you told me about how afraid you were of Zoom and what he'd do..."

"All of that was true," he replied. "All of it. My mother did take me on trains when I was little, before she died. She'd point out something new to me every time. And I did have nightmares about Zoom taking you. And I was afraid - "

"Stop lying to me!"

"I'm not lying," he insisted.

"You expect me to believe you were terrified of _yourself_?" she snapped.

"I didn't know!"

His words echoed. Hunter seemed cowed, like he hadn't meant to say what he'd just said. Caitlin didn't know if she should laugh or cry at his pathetic defense, but she didn't have to decide, her body chose for her. Her eyes welled up with fury.

He reached out to her, and she lashed out, desperate to return a tiny fraction of the pain he'd dealt her. The bottom of her fist made contact with his chest, and he didn't try to stop her as her other hand came down next to it.

She wailed on his chest, and the tears began in earnest as she realized that he was letting her. He wasn't even trying to stop her from venting every ounce of her anger on him. That only served to spur her on.

"Stop lying to me!" she started to repeat over and over again, punctuating her shouts with her strikes. It didn't take long for her throat to become hoarse. "Just - stop! Stop lying! I can't - I can't. Just stop lying... stop..."

She continued pounding against his chest until she couldn't lift her arms anymore and she collapsed into him.

"I'll do anything you want, but I can't take the lies anymore," were the last words she managed to speak.

The worst thing was how true that statement was. It made her cringe.

He gently tilted her chin up, and she saw something pass over his face.

He sighed, long and deep, before he spoke again.

"No more lies," he agreed. "Caitlin, when we were together, I didn't know I was Zoom."

* * *

 **End of Chapter Notes**

* * *

 **Chapter notes** : The title of this chapter, the Saucepan, is from the Australian name for the constellation comprised of Orion's belt and sword.

 **Author's note** : I hope you've enjoyed the latest installment! You might have noticed that the total number of chapters has changed from twenty to thirty. Some of it is plot expansion, but I'm working on making the chapters a bit shorter so I can write and proof them on some kind of schedule. The next chapter is already in the works!


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